Social innovation in child and youth services

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of the Special Issue on “Social Innovation in Child and Youth Services”. We begin with a description of the field and then discuss the individual papers which comprise the Special Issue. This special issue contains 13 groundbreaking innovations that are happening around the globe as each country tackles its own pressing social problems. There are 5 studies take the social demand approach, and another 5 studies utilize the societal challenge, and 3 studies apply the systemic change approach to implement their innovative initiatives. The most persistent problems require creative and innovative solutions that use fresh ideas, procedures, and products. This introductory article illustrates the promise of interventions that, despite methodological limitations and logistical barriers, have already shown to create positive social impact among their respective communities.