Physical abuse of children is only one manifestation of neglect. Others include emotional or psychological harm, sexual abuse, lack of medical care, and impaired parenting. Public policy toward child abuse and neglect is thus served best when varied perspectives are blended to produce a spectrum of services including community-based services, professional intervention, and legal intervention when necessary. Welfare models of child protection focus on the degree to which service strategies provide access to people needing support and assistance. Prospects for a viable community welfare component of a total service package may be affected by the way in which child abuse and neglect reporting laws are expressed. Australia's proposed Victorian Charter incorporates internationally agreed upon human rights standards and blends the interests of children, parents, and the community. The Victorian Charter develops a two-phased approach to protection based on better preventive strategies encompassing greater community responsibility for protection and a clearly-defined basis for rapid intervention by State agencies acting on behalf of the community when legal intervention is required. It is concluded that emphasis must be placed on using laws to serve an education function and on facilitating access by children and families to preventive and support services. A broad concept of neglect should be adopted, and the welfare orientation of the Children's Court in Australia should be considered. In addition, a community approach to welfare should shape the primary response to child protection; judicial involvement should be a last resort. 58 references. (Author abstract modified)