兒童與少年人口目前約有610萬人，幾乎佔全國人口的三分之一，但是在面臨社 會資源分配時，他們卻很容易被忽略。雖然我們有民國82年修訂的兒童福利法，和78年通過 的少年福利法作為兒少福利的基礎，但兩法之間的差異和不完善之處頗多即使是消極性的特 殊及不幸兒童少年扶助保護，都無法順利執行，遑論積極性、發展性福利制度的建立。尤有 甚者現行把兒童與少年以12歲年齡，劃分為兩種不同政策人口的模式，實在是早年福利政策 資源極為匱乏，社會福利未受到足夠重視狀況下的產物，就學理、實情和國際經驗來看，都 是不合時宜的。因此本文從社會福利、教育、司法、衛生、勞工、新聞等各類與建立兒童少 年福利制度相關之法規分析出發，再整理有關兒童及少年福利需求與服務供給的評估資料， 和相關的政策建議，並探討責任歸屬、平衡權利、和專業定位等三個價值議題，最後提出為 建立兒童及少年福利制度，而修訂兒童及少年福利法規的策略建議。

　　　　　This paper aims at advocating the proposal of amending the existing Child Welfare Law and Youth Welfare Law. There are about 6.1 million children and youth under 18 years of age, nearly one third of our total population. Whereas they are easily neglected whenever it comes to the decision of resource distribution, particularlly, in the area of social welfare. Even though there are Child Welfare Law (amended in 1993) and Youth Welfare Law (enacted in 1989) , children under 18 have not been well protected. The inconsistency of the two Laws, and implementation flaws made the remedial services fragmented and chapped in many areas, not to mention the institutionalization of children and youth services. Hence, the author started with an analysis of laws and acts relating to the welfare of children under 18, then assessed the needs and service provisions of children and youth welfare, followed by a review of the resent policy proposals and a discussion of basic policy issues. The above-mentioned policy strategies were delineated at the end.