Child abuse and neglect are complex phenomena with causative factors as diverse as childhood victimization, lack of support systems, life crises, or poor impulse control. Successful remediation of these phenomena can best be accomplished by the coordinated efforts of community professionals and child advocates skilled in these areas. The use of multidisciplinary teams to this end is strongly recommended. The purpose of multidisciplinary teams is to provide a structured format for the sharing of professional knowledge and resources to help prevent or remediate child abuse and neglect. This sharing improves the quality of services to the family and at the same time prevents both duplication of services and gaps in services provided. Teams also give much-needed recognition and support to casework staff and other service providers who work with abusive and neglectful families. They also help to resolve misunderstandings and misconceptions that may develop over service delivery issues. 5 references