The Book of David: How Preserving Families Can Cost Children's Lives Book

Richard J. Gelles was once one of the most widely published and vocal defenders of family preservation: the social policy of keeping troubled families together as a primary goal. He then ran into the true and tragic case of David Edwards, an infant who was murdered by his mother after falling through the chasms in the child welfare system.

David's story convinced Gelles, and will convince any reader of The Book of David, that the system must change. Nearly half the children who are killed by their parents each year are killed after they have come to the attention of child welfare agencies. These children must be protected by getting them out of harm's way. That means a radically new child welfare system must be developed. The first priority must be to protect children rather than preserve families.

The Book of David shows the flaws in current approaches and charts a path to a new child-centered approach.