This issue of Social Work Now is a special issue for the Child Youth and Family conference "Coming Home - Te Hokinga Mai".
Family group conferencing is at the cutting edge of family-centred practice. The Children, Young Persons, and their Families Act 1989 (the Act) puts children and families first, and enshrines the principles of family-led practice. It is one of the most innovative pieces of legislation across international jurisdictions. Now in its 18th year, it is clear that the mechanism of the FGC has embedded family decision making into everyday practice in both care and protection and youth justice. The conference highlighted how the FGC has matured, and well and truly stood the test of time. There were many examples of the success and value of the FGC. There was strong evidence of the energy and commitment to address the ongoing challenges for the FGC in the contemporary practice environment.
This Issue includes: "Innovative family decision making" by Ruth Dyson; "Learning from the past and repositioning the future" by Marie Connolly; "Family decision making now and in the future" by Stewart Bartlett; and "Youth justice social work" by Marie Connolly.