In Children's Rights in the United States, Nancy E. Walker, Catherine M. Brooks, and Lawrence S. Wrightsman propose the development of a U.S. policy that would protect children's entitlements to proper nurturing, protection, and self-determination. The authors contend that the lack of such a policy inhibits children's development and maturation into responsive and responsible adult members of society. Using the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child coupled with empirical evidence regarding children's decision-making competency as a foundation for their compelling case, the authors offer a historical and contextual perspective.