This collection of papers presented at a 1996 conference on children's mental health focuses on the child welfare system. The five papers have the following titles and authors: (1) "A Controlled Study of Foster Children with Emotional/Behavioral Disturbances: Equivalence of Groups across Characteristics" (Barbara Lee and others); (2)"Impact of an Experimental Foster Care Intervention on Emotional and Behavioral Adjustment: Examination of Preliminary Outcomes Using Growth Curve Analysis" (Mark R. Rose and others); (3) "Examining the Nature of the Independent Variable in a Controlled, Wraparound Foster Care Study: What Worked and Why?" (L. Adlai Boyd and others); (4) "The Characteristics of Urban Children and Families Served by Child Welfare Agencies: The Satellite Family Outreach Program" (Jennifer Soderlund and others); and (5) "Mental Health Screening in Foster Care: A Model for Community-Based Service Delivery and Research in Baltimore" (Grady Dale, Jr. and others). (DB)