John D. Fluke, PhD, is Professor and Associate Director for Systems Research and Evaluation at the Kempe Center in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.Mónica López López, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.Rami Benbenishty, PhD, is Professor Emeritus at the School of Social Work and Social Welfare at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Erik J. Knorth, PhD, is Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.Donald J. Baumann, PhD, is an instructor at St. Edwards University. He retired from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services where he was head of the Evaluation Section of Child Protective Services.

The book draws heavily on the psychology of decision-making research literature together with research on decision making in child welfare and protection and is intended for academic researchers and graduate students in social work, psychology, pedagogy and related disciplines such as behavioural economics.

• Preface Part One: Frameworks and Models in Decision Making and Judgement in Child Welfare and ProtectionChapter 1: Key Theoretical Perspectives and Historical Overview, Rami Benbenishty and John D. FlukeChapter 2: Exploration in Predictive Analysis and Machine Learning, Kelly Stepura, Jim Schwab, Donald J. Baumann, Natalie Sowinski, and Stephanie Thorne Part Two: Methodology for the Study of Decision Making in Child Welfare and ProtectionChapter 3: Empirical Methods for Studying Decision Making in Child Welfare and Protection, Joel Gautschi and Rami BenbenishtyChapter 4: Instrumentation to Understand the Child Protective Services Decision Making Processes, Allan J. Dettlaff, Dana Hollinshead, Donald J. Baumann, and John D. Fluke Part Three: Ecological Models of Decision Making in Child WelfareChapter 5: The Decision Making Ecology of Placing a Child into Foster Care: A Structural Equation Model, J. Christopher Graham, Alan J. Dettlaff, Donald J. Baumann, and John D. FlukeChapter 6: Lessons Learned from International Studies on Child Protection Decision Making Employing the Model of Judgments and Decisions Processes in Context (JUDPiC), Mónica López López and Rami BenbenishtyChapter 7: The Psychosocial Process Underlying Residential Care Placement Decisions, Leonor Bettencourt Rodrigues, Manuela Calheiros, and Cícero PereiraChapter 8: The Decision to Substantiate Allegations of Child Maltreatment, Sarah A. Font, Kathryn Maguire-Jack, and Rebecca Dillard Chapter 9: The Impact of Drugs, Infants, Single Mothers, and Relatives on Reunification: A Decision Making Ecology Approach, Kim Wittenstrom, Donald J. Baumann, John D. Fluke, J. Christopher Graham, and Joyce JamesChapter 10: Exploring Alternate Explanations for Agency-Level Effects in Placement Decisions Regarding Aboriginal Children, Barbara A. Fallon, John D. Fluke, Martin Chabot, Cindy Blackstock, Vandna Sinha, Kate Allan, and Bruce MacLaurin Part Four: Decision making in child welfare and protection in practiceChapter 11: The Use and Usability of Decision-Making Theory in Child Welfare Policy and Practice, Cora Bartelink, Tom A. van Yperen, Ingrid J. Ten Berge, and Erik J. KnorthChapter 12: The Voice of the Child in Child Protection Decision Making: A Cross-Country Comparison of Policy and Practice in England, Germany, and the Netherlands, Susanne Witte, Helen Baldwin, and Mónica López LópezChapter 13: Teaching and Learning Decision Making in Child Welfare and Protection Social Work, Brian J. Taylor Part Five: Future Directions: Implications for Policy, Practice and ResearchChapter 14: Advancing the Field of Decision Making and Judgement in Child Welfare and Protection: A look Back and Forward, John D. Fluke, Mónica López López, Rami Benbenishty, Erik J. Knorth, and Donald J. Baumann