Editorial [Special issue: Cross-national dialogues on identifying effective interventions with vulnerable children and families]

Abstract

This special issue is dedicated to the Xth EUSARF conference which was held at the University of Padua in Italy in March, 2008, in collaboration with the International Association for Outcome-Based Evaluation and Research on family and children's services (IAOBERfcs). The theme of the conference 'Assessing the “evidence-base” of intervention for vulnerable children and their families: Cross-national perspectives and challenges for research, practice and policy' attracted over 500 delegates from over 30 countries (Canali, Vecchiato, & Whittaker, 2008). Their enthusiasm and interest in this conference stresses the importance of sharing knowledge internationally and the role that cross-cultural learning has to play in the pursuit of research excellence (Canali, Maluccio, Vecchiato, & Berry, 2009). The papers presented in the conference portrayed a wide array of attempts to elicit evidence through using different types of methodologies in different social and cultural contexts. This special issue presents a flavor of that variety.