1. The political origins of Every Child Matters
2. Modernising the welfare state : new public management
3. International comparisons : No Child Left Behind and Excellence for All Americans
4. Sure Start : combating urban disadvantage
5. The five outcomes : a social agenda for the UK
6. Poverty and economic wellbeing
7. Child welfare and looked-after children : from protection to prevention
8. Citizenship and the new social order
9. Challenging parents : government in loco parentis
10. Multi-agency working : Plowden revisited
11. Redefining the education sector : the challenge for schools
12. Conclusion : does every child matter?