Although knowledge about child abuse and neglect is seriously lacking, some advances have occurred. Considerable information has been obtained on behavioral consequences of child maltreatment, and there is substantial evidence of a strong link between poverty and child abuse. Further, more is now known about children's skills as witnesses in court, and the effectiveness of home visitor programs in preventing child maltreatment has been demonstrated. Nonetheless, intervention research has been marked by the lack of a systematic approach to changing child protective policies. Federal and State roles and the role of private and community foundations in generating and appllying knowledge about child abuse and neglect are discussed. The authors look at Federal support for child maltreatment research, structural and technical issues in such research, and the need to formulate a new national strategy on child protection. 75 references