This report speaks to the pioneering programs inspired by a growing appreciation of the pervasiveness, danger and consequences of domestic violence for women and their children. It provides a portrait of a quiet crisis brewing in the 1980s and 1990s as well as discussions among stakeholders, increasingly robust research, templates from new programs, and dissemination of information that has contributed to a new framework for aiding abused families. Now it is time to mine the lessons arising from these efforts, consider the practices and policies, and identify their implications for the future. (Author abstract modified)