Residential Child Care: Critical Cross-Cultural Perspectives is focused on creating sustainable and effective residential care for children and youth around the globe. “Family” is widely believed to be the best context for childcare, yet millions of families across the globe are subjected to changing economic and policy conditions that make it difficult, if not impossible, to meet children’s basic needs. As a response to this challenge, nearly all countries have a child residential care system that provides out-of-home placements to socialize and educate children. However, depending on prevailing philosophies, economies, and governments, the structure and function of these systems varies considerably across the globe. There is a pressing need, therefore, to understand fundamental commonalities and differences in child residential care from a global perspective to promote the optimal care of children.