This research explores whether Video Interaction Guidance can strengthen parental reflective functioning among CPS-involved parents in New Zealand. By helping parents reflect on positive parent–child interactions, the intervention encourages curiosity, reduces reactive parenting, and supports safer, more nurturing relationships that may help families remain together.

My thesis uncovers the forgotten history of the US Children’s Bureau, once a global leader in children’s rights. Through archival research, it traces postwar innovation, a 1960s expansion inspired by civil rights, and the bureau’s dismantling under Nixon. The work highlights today’s parallels and the need to restore moral leadership for children.