Meaningful collaboration has been defined as an ongoing process in which “courts and agencies identify and work toward shared goals and activities to increase the safety, permanency, and well-being of children in the child welfare system.” This…
Mediation is a recommended form of alternate dispute resolution that is becoming increasingly popular in the juvenile dependency court system, as it allows parties to settle contested matters in a non-adversarial way that provides all…
Research has conclusively demonstrated that court-involved children and adolescents present with extremely high rates of traumatic stress caused by their adverse life experiences. In the court setting, we may perceive these youth as inherently disrespectful,…
NCJFCJ considers the appointment of early legal representation for indigent parents as a “best practice” in juvenile dependency proceedings. This Research Memo uses data from a parent representation pilot program in the Travis County, Texas…
In Texas, youth who remain in care for more than a year enter Permanent Managing Conservatorship, and a permanency review hearing is held at least every six months that they remain in care. These hearings…
Since 2011, the NCJFCJ has published Disproportionality Rates for Children of Color in Foster Care Technical Assistance Bulletins, which identify the disproportionality rates for all state and select Model Courts across the Country. The reports have gained national…
In the dependency court system, a legal orphan is a child whose parents’ rights have been terminated and who has no legal permanent connection to a family. The child remains in foster care and has…
Synergy, Vol. 16, No. 2, is dedicated to the child protection and custody challenges faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and transgender (LGBQT) survivors of domestic violence and by the LGBQT community. This issue was…
Judging in juvenile court is specialized and complex, going beyond the traditional role of the judge. Juvenile court judges, as the gatekeepers to the foster care system and guardians of the original problem solving court,…
Family Violence: Legislative Update Volume 18 is now available. This volume focuses on the 2012 legislative sessions. New legislation represents, for most lawmakers, an effort to address areas of concern, to remedy gaps, and to…
This technical assistance bulletin provides juvenile and family courts with practice recommendations and tools to improve compliance with the letter of the ICWA as well as with the “spirit of the ICWA” through services and…
Disproportionality and disparities in the treatment of children of color have been a growing concern in the child welfare system. Nationally, the primary concern is the overrepresentation of African American children within the child welfare…