SITE VISITS WERE MADE TO CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT PROGRAMS AT COOK COUNTY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, CHICAGO, ILL.; UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO MEDICAL CENTER, DENVER; WILLIAM BEAUMONT ARMY MEDICAL CENTER, EL PASO, TEX.; KAUIKEOLANI CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, HONOLULU, HAWAII; UNIVERSITY OF IOWA HOSPITALS, IOWA CITY; CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF LOS ANGELES (CALIF.); NEW YORK (N.Y.) FOUNDLING HOSPITAL; CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PITTSBURGH (PA.); AND ST. PAUL (MINN.)-RAMSEY COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER. SEPARATE SUMMARY REPORTS FOR EACH PROGRAM INCLUDE INFORMATION ON PROCEDURES, CLIENT POPULATIONS, WORKLOADS, SERVICES OFFERED, COMMUNITY RESOURCES USED, REPORTING PROCEDURES, RESEARCH, AND OTHER PROGRAM ASPECTS. SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES AMONG THE NINE PROGRAMS ARE HIGHLIGHTED. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS ARE DRAWN WITH REGARD TO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NONPUNITIVE, THERAPEUTIC PROGRAMS FOR ABUSING PARENTS, THE IMPACT OF COMMUNITY EDUCATION ON THE REPORTING OF CHILD ABUSE, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TEAM APPROACH TO DIAGNOSING ABUSE, THE NEED FOR CHILD ABUSE DIAGNOSTIC TEAM MEMBERS TO BE RELIEVED PERIODICALLY FROM THE DEMANDS OF THEIR ROLE, AND EVIDENCE THAT ABUSING PARENTS CAN LEARN NOT TO ABUSE. THE PERVASIVE NEED FOR SYSTEMATIC STUDIES IN CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT IS POINTED OUT.