AbstractIn the UK, individual and family‐level interpretations of child protection have historically taken precedence over community‐level interpretations, despite repeated attempts to balance these two approaches. With the publication of the Green Paper Every Child Matters (Department for Education and Skills, 2003) and the development of Children's Trusts, there is yet another opportunity to ensure that the community‐level aspect of child protection is properly recognized and resourced. This is particularly important within the UK because of the large structural inequalities that exist in the distribution of income and other resources and services. As a result of the very close associations between these inequalities and health and welfare outcomes, large numbers of children are adversely affected in ways that are generally unrecognized by the present child protection system. Evidence about the role of parents' social support networks and the social capital of communities in promoting children's welfare and protecting them from significant harm is considered. The potential of strategies designed to strengthen the capacity of disadvantaged families and communities to provide positive environments for children is also reviewed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.