Abstract: Abstract: A preliminary system of social work policies and plans has taken shape in China in recent years. An analysis of their development and contents reveals that they have targeted four fields and undergone different periods, viz. policy making and planning for social work professional education, that for social workers professional development, that for building the professional force of social workers, and that for social work service. The basic characteristics of the development of these policies and plans include: 1) policies and plans in certain fields of social work made by individual government departments are turned into the overall policies and plans of the ruling party and central government, and 2) these policies and plans focus on the building of a professional workforce. However, the future development of social work policy making and planning in China should take social work service as the pivot and stress social workers professional development.
 

Key words: social work;, policy;, planning