The importance of the issues surrounding public health can never be underestimated, and the significance of child health within the overall public health framework is of particular note. Professionals working with the school-age population are faced with a multitude of challenges particular to that age group, making the effective planning and implementation of appropriate public health strategies especially important. This ground-breaking book presents a jargon-free analysis of the key issues facing practitioners, policy-makers and other decision-makers whose role involves the individual and public health needs of school age children in Britain today. Covering all the contemporary public health issues, the book is organized around the perspective of the child, giving a real insight into the needs of the child and how the professional can best attend to them. Written by highly-regarded experts in public health, this book is an essential reference text for school and community nurses, health visitors, social workers, service managers and policy makers, and will also prove invaluable to all students on courses with a child health element.