The "Policy Matters" project provides coherent, comprehensive information regarding the strength and adequacy of state policies affecting children, families, and communities. The project seeks to establish consensus among policy experts and state leaders regarding the mix of policies believed to offer the best opportunity for improving key child and family results. The paper that follows presents a framework for policy options aimed at achieving a core result: safety and well-being for children with permanent families. Although there are many systems, policies, and programs that affect this outcome, this paper focuses primarily on state child welfare agencies and their partners, which include the courts and systems responsible for health, mental health, education and other related services. In Section I, the paper provides background on the challenges faced by children and families involved with the child welfare systems, and the challenges these systems face in trying to serve them. Section II of this report provides a conceptual framework and logic model that illustrate the connection between the desired outcomes for children and the policy recommendations in this report. Section III defines these policy recommendations in detail, including the available research and practice evidence that informs these recommendations. Taken together, the authors believe that the policies identified here present a powerful and compelling policy agenda for improving child safety and well-being as part of permanent families. Over time, they will continue to improve the recommendations as additional research and practice evidence is available. Future policy options may be modified to allow consistent tracking of state progress and to overcome data limitations. Thus, this paper presents a preliminary set of policy options. A goal of the "Policy Matters" work is to assess states' progress toward recommended policy options. The framework helps states think strategically about policy decisions that improve the safety, permanence, and well-being of families, and is designed to provide policy support and feedback to those interested in promoting improved outcomes for children and families. (Contains 431 endnotes.)