Companion piece: Convention on the Rights of the Child special protection measures: overview of implications and value for children in the United States.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is an international treaty that commits ratifying states parties to uphold the rights of all children under the age of 18. This article discusses the issues of highest relevance to the United States and reviews the pros and cons of ratifying, from the perspective of the convention's intent and potential, sovereignty of states, and national public policies, and regarding the special protection recommended for particularly vulnerable children. Specific implementation issues discussed include training, accountability, and monitoring.

Emerging issues at the intersection of immigration and child welfare: results from a transnational research and policy forum.

In July 2006, the American Humane Association and the Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work facilitated a roundtable to address the emerging issue of immigration and its intersection with child welfare systems. More than 70 participants from 10 states and Mexico joined the roundtable, representing the fields of higher education, child welfare, international immigration, legal practice, and others. This roundtable created a transnational opportunity to discuss the emerging impact of migration on child welfare services in the United States and formed the basis of a continued multidisciplinary collaboration designed to inform and impact policy and practice at the local, state, and national levels.