“Naomi Schaefer Riley brings to the forefront a crucial question, which is foundational to the design of a compassionate and safe child welfare system in the United States. Her analysis and keen insights are more than worth a read. Her dedication and passion for this work continues to inspire me.” —Mary L. Landrieu, former U.S. Senator (D-LA)

“Anyone who cares about the disappeared children of America should read this book.” Naomi Schaefer Riley is one of the few people who will tell the truth about what really goes on in the lives of children who have been removed from their parents’ care by the state. These children end up pawns in a great politically-motivated shuffle that often serves only to break their most important attachments; to leave them languishing for permanent placements until the ‘right’ kind of parent can be chosen by the state; or returned to dangerous situations. Sent from placement to placement—and school to school—they quickly suffer emotional and educational losses that can’t be repaired. I don’t know of any writer who reports as deeply and writes as honestly as NSR. At the very least, she bears witness to what we’ve all chosen to ignore. We all have a stake in this situation.” —Caitlin Flanagan, staff writer, The Atlantic

“Harrowing yet full of heart,No Way to Treat a Child tells the searing tale of how political correctness is harming the smallest and weakest among us: kids who need homes. Kudos to Naomi Schaefer Riley for trying to change a system that needlessly puts young lives at risk. May her brave book succeed in its mission.” —Mary Eberstadt, author, Primal Screams and How the West Really Lost God

“Our beleaguered, blinkered child welfare system has not kept pace with the scientific consensus on healthy child development or the effect of trauma on the young brain. That huge numbers of children are harmed by the status quo is indisputable. The question is why we can’t do better. With a journalist’s eye for detail and a scientist’s command of evidence, Riley describes how a system mired in forms of reckless idealism, disinformation, and bigotry has abandoned its mission to protect the most vulnerable members of our society. This is bracing, powerful stuff, and Riley is not interested in protecting naive feelings; but her provocative call to action should inspire decent people of all backgrounds, faiths, and identities to reform a disgraceful system and, perhaps, to live in closer alignment to the Talmudic saying that, ‘Whoever saves one life saves the world entire.’”—Erika Christakis, author, The Importance of Being Little and foster/adoptive parent

“Naomi Schaefer Riley’s book reveals the extent to which abused and abandoned children are often injured by their government rescuers. It is a must read for those seeking solutions to this national crisis.” —Robert L. Woodson, Sr., civil rights leader and president of the Woodson Center, author of Lessons from the Least of These

“Everyone interested in child welfare should grapple with Naomi Riley’s powerful evidence that the current system ill-serves the safety and well-being of vulnerable kids.”—Walter Olson, senior fellow, Cato Institute, Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies

“We want the best for kids, especially the most vulnerable kids. But we aren’t getting even close, as Naomi Schaefer Riley masterfully and heartbreakingly shows in her gripping bookNo Way to Treat a Child.More than a tale of woe, however, this book shows the way to a better future for the people who are our future.”—Arthur C. Brooks, professor, Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School, and author of Love Your Enemies and The Conservative Heart