Respected family policy expert Shirley Zimmerman offers the only single-authored core textbook to provide a comprehensive and coherent introduction to family policy. The application of the frameworks to real life issues in family policy provides the opportunity for students to learn to think conceptually about family policy in relation to family problems. She clearly and cogently guides students through the foundations, policy frameworks, and implications of policy decisions for family well-being, ending with a carefully considered set of conclusions and implications for policy practice.

Now in its sixth edition, Becoming an Effective Policy Advocate continues to embrace the policy-practice framework that made it a success while including completely updated coverage of important recent developments in the field. This groundbreaking text goes beyond the traditional foundational approach to policy and helps students develop the skills they need to become advocates for social change. Students are taught the ins and outs of conducting policy-practice so that they will be prepared to implement policy reform during their own careers.

This comprehensive and contemporary book presents parent-child relations in historical and cultural contexts, emphasizing the similarities and differences in parent-child relationships across cultures, in age and gender, and related to parent-child interactions at each stage of life, with an in-depth treatment of parenting strategies.

With an emphasis on decision-making, this book explains the resource management process and ways to cope with issues such as time, energy and financial constraints. Using a five-step model, it discusses how to identify needs, determine resources, and even evaluate the end-result. This fourth edition is fully revised to meet the standards needed for the CFLE designation and includes more on stress, the environment, and current economic conditions. Each chapter incorporates new case studies, new critical-thinking exercises, chapter-opening illustrations and activities that help individuals and families learn how to navigate daily life within an increasingly complex world.