The key to the difference between New Zealand and United States law regarding child abuse and neglect is the family group conference, the mechanism through which the extended family is involved in key decisions. This article describes how family group conferences work, their legal origin and political impetus; effect on out-of-home placements and on the role of attorneys and judges; effect of the decisionmaking role of the family; effect on transracial placements; the role of family group conferences in delinquency cases. There are some unknowns in implementing this concept in the United States: (1) Are family arrangements permanent and stable compared to foster placements? (2) To what extent are children protected from further abuse? (3) Is this approach consistent with current United States Federal law? (4) Could the family group conference approach survive the frequent and intensive involvement of lawyers for parents and children in review hearings? and (5) Are statutory and regulatory adjustments needed to deal with the issue of confidentiality?