oa Editorial (Thematic Issue: Global Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice and Mental Health: Are We Getting Better)

Background: The UN Convention for the Rights of the Child (United Nations General Assembly, 1990) is a key document for nations to guide and measure their progress towards providing appropriate rights and supports for children and youth. It advocates for various rights and services for children, especially those in state custody either in the child welfare or juvenile systems, including mental health services. Method: This special issue presents a cross-national survey of how many nations and regions within nations are addressing the special needs of these vulnerable populations. Conclusions: The sum of these articles supports significant progress in these goals and present an optimistic picture of our progress globally in these most sensitive indicators of civilization, though we still have a long way to go.