The U.S. legal system gives parents the authority and responsibility to make decisions about their children's health care, and favors parental rights over society's collective responsibility to provide for children's welfare. Neither the federal government nor state governments have an affirmative obligation to protect and promote children's…

Noting that the American public's concern for children is shaped by complicated and sometimes conflicting beliefs about family life, this paper examines the policy debates surrounding child care, early childhood development, family leave, and children's health insurance, and analyzes how well advocates have adapted to the new realities. Part 1 of…