NCJ Number
178637
Date Published
1995
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper describes the pilot management information system of the Hamilton County Juvenile Court (Ohio), which tracks the processing of dependency case filings.
Abstract
A brief overview of general system requirements is provided as well as a detailed discussion of system characteristics and functions that are essential to the juvenile/family court's tracking and management of dependency case processing. For the most part, the information requirements necessary to record and track dependency case filings are similar to the requirements for delinquency and status offense filings. In most juvenile/family courts, however, there are several important differences in how cases are structured and processed that will require special system considerations and adaptations. These special considerations revolve around issues that are salient or unique to the processing of dependency cases. Some unique requirements for dependency cases are the system linking of siblings and the family unit and the potential for multiple children to be named as defendants (victims) on complaints and petitions filed with the court. Other distinctive requirements are supplemental filings (petitions, motions), including filings that request termination of parental rights and the tracking of pre-filing voluntary placements and predisposition interim placements. Other characteristics of dependency filings are the recording of "reasonable efforts" findings; the tracking of critical case events and legal status expiration dates; and the development of quality assurance, case tracking, aging, and statistical reports. This paper discusses each of the aforementioned characteristics in some detail.