Among the State plan requirements for establishing eligibility for Federal grants under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, States are required to provide “immunity from civil or criminal liability under State and local laws and regulations for individuals making good faith … Read More
Judicial
The Racial Justice Organization Assessment Tools for Court
Final Report – February 2023 Executive Summary In July of 2020, the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ) and the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA) resolved to “intensify efforts to combat racial prejudice within the justice system, both explicit and … Read More
Mental Health Emergency Response
Introduction It is estimated that 7% to 10%1 of all police encounters involve a person who has mental illness. Most of these encounters do not involve any violence, and some don’t involve a crime at all. People with mental illness … Read More
Highlights from a special issue of Family Court Review
Vivek Sankaran and Christopher Church turn the current “master narrative” about securing “permanency” for children on its head. That false narrative, pushed hardest by those who hate birth parents (and yes, that’s the right word) claims that only adoption guarantees a … Read More
Four Ways That Courts Can Actively Engage Children and Youth Involved in Child Welfare Proceedings.
Children and youth are experts on their own lives, but often they are not engaged meaningfully in their own child welfare cases by court professionals. They frequently have little or no power over important aspects of their lives that are … Read More
Quality Improvement Center on Engaging Youth in Finding Permanency
Guided by four principles rooted in partnership, respect, equity, and holistic permanency, the Quality Improvement Center on Engaging Youth in Finding Permanency (QIC-EY) is seeking to redefine what it means to authentically engage children and youth in child welfare systems, particularly regarding … Read More
Administration to Toughen Enforcement of Child Labor Laws as Cases Mount
Labor and HHS departments will coordinate efforts to investigate violations and boost the safety of migrant children. The Biden administration on Monday February 27, unveiled a plan to get tougher on illegal child labor, as high-profile cases involving migrant children … Read More
Congregate Care in the Age of FFPSA
The Capacity Building Center for States published a brief, Congregate Care in the Age of Family First, for those interested in learning how to use the provisions in the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) to improve their use of congregate … Read More
Four Ways to Better Support Young Adults Transitioning out of Foster Care
Congress established the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood, known as Chafee, in 1999. That means the program, which provides support to assist young adults transitioning out of the foster care system, is now 23, … Read More
Introducing the Reasonable Efforts Findings Study
U.S. Administration for Children and Families – October 05, 2022 A judge’s reasonable efforts decisions at child welfare hearings may avoid separating families and help children achieve permanency faster.1 As a result, judges play a critical role in child welfare … Read More