INFORMAL SOCIAL SYSTEMS IN THE FORM OF FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, AND RELATIVES CAN BE ALLIES IN THE WORK DONE BY HUMAN SERVICE PROFESSIONALS. BECAUSE CHILD MALTREATMENT CAN ONLY BE UNDERSTOOD IN RELATION TO ITS SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT, THE INTEGRATION OF FAMILIES INTO FORMAL AND INFORMAL SUPPORT SYSTEMS IS CRUCIAL TO IMPROVEMENT IN THIS AREA. SWEDEN'S HIGHLY DEVELOPED SOCIAL WELFARE SYSTEM SHOWS SOCIETY'S COMMITTMENT TO FAMILIES IS A BLEND OF CULTURAL HERITAGE, POLITICAL TRADITION, AND CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL EVENTS. USING A CASE STUDY TO ILLUSTRATE THE DILEMMA OF SOCIAL ISOLATION, THE NEED TO UNDERSTAND A FAMILY'S IMMEDIATE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT IS REINFORCED. BASED ON RESEARCH IN A LARGE METROPOLITAN AREA, SIX NEIGHBORHOOD TYPES ARE REPRESENTED, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT KNOWLEDGE OF A NEIGHBORHOODS'S CHARACTER PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK FOR DEVISING STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE FAMILY SUPPORT SYSTEMS. IN ADDITION, TECHNIQUES FOR COLLECTING INFORMATION ABOUT CHILD MALTREATMENT AND USING THAT INFORMATION TO ALLOCATE AGENCY RESOURCES ARE DESRIBED, WITH A VIEW TO SHOWING HOW TWO ECONOMICALLY SIMILAR NEIGHBORHOODS CAN BE VERY DIFFERENT WHEN IT COMES TO FAMILY SUPPORT SYSTEMS. THE NEIGHBORHOOD CONSULTATION APPROACH TO IMPROVING COOPERATION BETWEEN FORMAL AND INFORMAL FAMILY SUPPORT SYSTEMS IS DESCRIBED, AS WELL AS PREPARATION TO BE MADE AS A BASIS FOR EFFECTIVE NEIGHBORHOOD CONSULTATION AND THE DYNAMICS OF THE CONSULTATION RELATIONSHIP. A PLAN TO BUILD FORMAL SUPPORT INTO THE LIVES OF HIGH-RISK WOMEN EXPERIENCING THEIR FIRST PREGNANCIES IS ALSO EXAMINED. THROUGHOUT THESE ARTICLES, WRITTEN BY PSYCHOLOGISTS, SOCIOLOGISTS, AND SOCIAL WORKERS, THE PREVENTIVE NATURE OF INFORMAL SUPPORT SYSTEMS IS STRESSED. (RFC)