NCJ Number
219925
Date Published
May 2006
Length
281 pages
Annotation
This federally supported report presents an overview of the developments, emerging trends, and promising practices in the Child Victims Act Model Court Project from September 2004 to September 2005.
Abstract
In recent years, the Child Victims Act Model Courts Project has been nationally recognized for its commitment to improving outcomes for children and families resulting in a number of jurisdictions seeking to participate in the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) Model Courts Project. With funding assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), the Project has grown in scope and influence. The NCJFCJ Model Courts are working to improve the child protection system to better respond to, and meet the needs of, the children and families they serve. The Model Courts provide an opportunity for reforms and innovations in practice and policy to be pilot-tested as ongoing systems change efforts. As the Project enters its second decade, the Permanency Planning for Children Department is reexamining the basics that started the national initiative in the early 1990s (judicial leadership and oversight, fundamental best practices both on and off the bench, court-agency community collaboration, and commitment to achieving safe, timely permanency for children). These basics continue to be critical to successful system reform efforts. The goal of the Status Report 2005 is to provide readers with a “snapshot view of the work of the Model Courts, their accomplishments and challenges, and to encourage other jurisdictions to engage in court and system improvement efforts. The report includes a profile of each of the 31 Model Courts for the timeframe of September 2004 to September 2005. Each profile contains a brief summary of the history of the Model Court, a synopsis of Model Court goals for 2005, a list of Model Court goals for 2006, and court demographics. Tables and glossary