Children in out-of-home care due to familial maltreatment and other developmental and behavioral problems remain at risk for abuse and neglect in the very placements designed for care and treatment.

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Findings from a national survey ofstate planning strategies for mental health suggested that most states develop state plans using incremental strategies of budgeting and service prioritization. The importance of policy networks in developing and modifying the service priorities was in evidence in this approach, and far more common than the new but rare strategies of tracking the individual needs of clients. Given the generally slower growth of rural areas and sometimes-weaker force of rural advocacy efforts, the importance of building representation on policy networks-local, regional, and statewide-is particularly significant. This article discusses the development and maintenance of policy networks. Research findings in network theory development from social capital theory and structural hole theory are presented. with implications for organizations as well as policy advocates. The article concludes with recommendations for network development and maintenance.