The Nation's social welfare system is unprepared to meet the needs of children with multiple and severe problem. To implement effective human service programs and policies, the Commission recommends: coordinate child and family policies across the executive branch, create a joint congressional committee on children and families, decategorize selected Federal programs, establish uniform eligibility criteria and consolidate applications, provide incentives for demonstration projects, develop new accountability measures, invest more in prevention, and increase salaries and training opportunities in the early childhood and child welfare fields. A strategy discussion accompanies each recommendation. 1 appendix and 35 notes