A child-welfare family group conferencing (FGC) project that served families who were referred for child abuse, neglect, and/or abandonment issues is reported. The stages and mechanisms used to implement the family group conferences are described, and the conferencing processes and outcomes are presented. Findings indicate that FGC is inherently a resource-intensive process, but one that successfully achieves broad participation in child-welfare decisions. The resource demands of FGC, however, also raise questions regarding the use of highly educated professionals to coordinate many aspects of a family group conference. A service-team approach to FGC is offered as one way of making it a viable model for child-welfare service delivery on a larger scale.FAMILY GROUP CONFERENCING (FGC) is an old idea with a new name. Family group conferencing originated in New Zealand in 1989, where, after many years of debate, The Child, Young Persons, and Their Families Act was enacted to establish new ways of working with families whose children have been abused or neglected or who have committed delinquent acts. The legislation, and particularly the emphasis placed on FGC, grew out of a number of political concerns, including: (a) the perceived disintegration of traditional family structures and the growing number of youths, particularly minorities, living in out-of-home care, the increased length of time in these care settings, and the multiple nature of these placements; (b) a shift toward reducing government intervention; (c) increased emphasis on community participation and accountability; and (d) decentralization of government services to encourage local solutions (Barbour, 1991).The Act enables and empowers families to make and implement decisions in cases of abuse, neglect, and delinquency. The FGC model is central to the legislation and amounts to a family meeting with as many family members who will attend. Instead of families attending meetings dominated by professionals, FGC involves a meeting of the family to which the professionals are invited. The professionals' roles are Sieppert, Hudson, & Unrau • Family Group Conferencing in Child Welfare Referred families had presenting concerns related to child abuse, neglect, and/or abandonment and were in need of care and protection.