The Superior Court of California, County of Orange is part of the project to ensure the safety, timely permanency, and well-being of families impacted by the child welfare system.
The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) convened lead judges and related court professionals involved in its NCJFCJ Implementation Sites Project, a project funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, in Anaheim from August 27-29, 2024. The Superior Court of California, County of Orange is part of this project to ensure the safety, timely permanency, and well-being of families impacted by the child welfare system.
This critical project provides state and tribal child abuse and neglect courts with training and support to make system improvements, evaluate progress, and share challenges and successes with other courts across the country. The Lead Judges meeting focused on judicial leadership and partnering with families to improve the court experience of those involved in child abuse and neglect cases. Judges gathered to identify current challenges the courts are facing and developed strategies to address those challenges.
“It’s imperative that courts develop processes that engage and empower families to support their success,” said Allison List, Ph.D., program director of behavioral health for the NCJFCJ. “By bringing together teams from our Implementation Sites, we are not only sharing best practices but also inspiring new approaches that will enhance the effectiveness and trauma responsiveness of our nation’s courts.”
As part of their involvement in this project, Implementation Sites make system improvements, evaluate progress, and share challenges and successes with other courts across the country. The Implementation Sites will integrate promising practices, as defined by the NCJFCJ’s Enhanced Resource Guidelines: Improving Court Practices in Child Abuse and Neglect Cases, to guide their system reform efforts. There are 26 court sites across the country.
An estimated 558,899 children, with unique incidents, were victims of abuse and neglect in 2022, the most recent year for which there is national data. That is eight children out of every thousand (source: National Children’s Alliance). In Orange County, 25,693 child abuse and neglect allegation hotline calls were reported in the FY 2023-2024. Judges who preside over child abuse and neglect cases gain the knowledge and skills necessary to help navigate the complexities of these cases with the cutting-edge training from the NCJFCJ.
“The Superior Court of Orange County is a committed partner in the NCJFCJ Implementation Sites project,” said Craig E. Arthur, presiding judge juvenile panel, Orange County Superior Court. “We look forward to working with our stakeholders to define our goals and enact improvements aimed at enhancing the delivery of services and outcomes to children and families in our court system.”