Cultural competence is defined as the ability to understand the world view of culturally different clients and adapt practices accordingly. Social and mental health services for children and families of diverse cultures have suffered from a lack of cultural awareness and acceptance and professional competence, even though there has been a tremendous increase in ethnic diversity in the United States over the past decade. People of color are overrepresented in child protective service populations, but professionals of color are underrepresented in the fields of social work and psychology. The lack of cultural competence on the part of professionals is reflected in a number of ways in the delivery of social and mental health services. As culture affects all levels of service delivery, professionals must take into account the culture of their service populations. Cultural needs of clients must be addressed in terms of a value base, the dynamics of difference, empowerment, and knowledge. Both professionals and clients interact in accordance with values derived from cultural experiences, and cultural competence must be a standard professional skill. 41 references