The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) has announced the release of the Enhanced version of the Resource Guidelines to improve court practice in child abuse and neglect cases, 20 years after the original publication. “The Enhanced Resource Guidelines will serve as the … Read More
Judge
Supporting School Stability for Children in Foster Care during COVID-19 and Beyond
As a judge overseeing child welfare cases, you play a critical role ensuring children and youth in foster care are staying on track and making progress in school. Federal law prioritizes education stability for these children and mandates coordination by … Read More
Supporting Remote Family Time During the Pandemic and Beyond: The Judge’s Role
This Judge’s Action Alert highlights: trends in use of remote family time by the legal child welfare community during the pandemic; benefits and drawbacks of using remote family time approaches; keys to effective remote family time; how judges can support remote family … Read More
Best Practice Standards: Ensuring ‘Equity and Inclusion’ in Family Treatment Courts
The Family Treatment Court Best Practice Standards (BPS) provide local jurisdictions, states, tribes, and funders with clear practice guidance; the goal is to improve outcomes for children, parents, and families affected by SUDs and involved in child welfare. While all … Read More
Judge’s Action Alert: Supporting Early Legal Advocacy Before Court Involvement in Child Welfare Cases
This Judge’s Action Alert highlights: the reasons for providing legal advocacy early in a child welfare case before court involvement, roles legal advocates play when appointed before court involvement in a case, benefits of early, precourt legal advocacy, how early, precourt legal … Read More
Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Courts: A Tool for Improving Outcomes for American Indian Children and Families
The St. Louis County Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Court in Duluth, Minnesota, currently led by Judge Sally Tarnowski, is a dedicated docket of child welfare hearings involving Indian children as confirmed or presumed by the definitions outlined in the … Read More
Louisiana CINC Benchbook
The Court Improvement Program of the Louisiana Supreme Court, Louisiana Judicial College, and Pelican Center for Children and Families is delighted to announce the publication of the Louisiana Child in Need of Care Benchbook for Juvenile Judges. The Benchbook project is a … Read More
Juvenile Justice GPS Geography, Policy, Practice & Statistics
National Center for Juvenile Justice Launches Web Site To Chart Juvenile Justice Change The National Center for Juvenile Justice has launched Juvenile Justice GPS Geography, Policy, Practice & Statistics (JJGPS), an online resource funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. This … Read More
Birth Parents with Trauma Histories and the Child Welfare System: A Guide for Judges and Attorneys
By recognizing the potential impact of trauma on parenting, judges and attorneys can more easily connect parents with services that will meet their needs. This resource from The National Child Traumatic Stress Network addresses the following questions: What are signs … Read More