Most PINS petitions do not survive to adjudication, thus unnecessarily consuming court resources. Truancy petitions are being inappropriately used, and there is little cross-agency planning for a range of services for troubled adolescents and families. Morevover, most children and families who secure services through the PINS process could have received those services through a voluntary system. The current system focuses narrowly on young people, usually for problems which are as much related to their families' behavior as to their own. It overloads the courts, promising services and resolutions it cannot deliver. Recommendations are offered to redefine the family court's role and to structure planning and coordination of service delivery. Tables, footnotes, case histories, a glossary of terms, and placement costs are provided. (Author summary modified)