The introduction frames the book’s central question: what level of care are children morally entitled to from their parents, and what role should the state play in securing it? Using the case of Gypsy Rose Blanchard as a point of contrast, the chapter distinguishes three caregiving standards – adequate, good and best – and outlines the book’s central argument: while children have a right to adequate care (enforceable), and a right to good care (non-enforceable), they have no moral right to best care. This framework sets the stage for a nuanced account of parental duty, children’s rights and the ethical limits of state enforcement.