NCJ Number
176264
Journal
Juvenile and Family Court Journal Volume: 49 Issue: 3 Dated: Summer 1998 Pages: 27-39
Date Published
1998
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This article presents initial findings of the efforts of the Kentucky Court Improvement Project to reform Kentucky's courts though statewide cross-training on issues and decision-making related to child protection and child welfare.
Abstract
The effort was prompted by recognition that although judges are crucial to court reform in child protection proceedings, legislative mandates cannot guarantee the requisite level of judicial commitment. The lack of full implementation of the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 demonstrates that court reformers should increase judicial understandings of the provisions of Federal law through initiatives such as cross-training instead of relying on statutory language. The Kentucky Court Improvement Project delivered 11 regional cross-training sessions to more than 550 judges, attorneys, social service personnel, and other child advocates between December 1996 and June 1998. Results of a statewide survey revealed that cross training significantly increased judges' awareness of Federal child protection objectives. The authors' experience with cross-training also suggests that training objectives must be clear, judicial leadership is crucial to cross-training, plans for reform must be court-specific, the focus of cross-training should be intersystem problem-solving, and community action planning is perhaps the most crucial component. Tables and reference notes