Reasonable Efforts Checklist for Dependency Cases Involving Domestic Violence

• NCJ Number: 231276
• Author(s): Leigh Goodmark J.D.
• Date Published: December 2008
• Length: 53 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2004-WT-AX-K080
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women
• Corporate Author: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges; Family Violence Prevention Fund; American Public Human Services Assoc (APHSA)
• Sale Source: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Handbook
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This checklist provides assistance to dependency court judges in identifying factors that should be considered when making reasonable efforts determinations in cases involving domestic violence.

Abstract

Domestic violence affects a large percentage of the families in the dependency court system; however, domestic violence in dependency cases often goes unrecognized and unaddressed. This checklist, divided into five sections, assists dependency court judges in identifying factors that should be considered when making reasonable efforts determination sin cases involving domestic violence. The first section discusses why judges need to understand domestic violence when handling dependency cases. Section two examines the family context of these cases, which includes information on how domestic violence affects parenting, and the interrelationships between domestic violence and mental health and substance abuse. Section three lays out the legal framework for making reasonable efforts findings. Section four describes the types of reasonable efforts that should be made in dependency cases involving domestic violence. The fifth and final section provides suggestions to help judges improve the availability and quality of services for families experiencing domestic violence in their communities. The publication concludes with reference bench cards for judges to consult when hearing dependency cases involving domestic violence; these are in the areas of removal hearing, adjudication hearing, disposition hearing, review hearing, permanency hearing, and termination hearing.