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Court Improvement Program
The highest court of each State and territory participating in the Court Improvement Program (CIP) receives a grant from the Children's Bureau to complete a detailed self-assessment and develop and implement recommendations to enhance the court's role in achieving stable, permanent homes for children in foster care. Strategies include, for example, improving the timeliness and quality of hearings, reducing attorney and judicial caseloads, enhancing the quality of legal representation, and using computer technology and management information systems. Use the following resources to learn more about court improvement programs, including State and local examples.
Child Welfare Court Improvement
National Child Welfare Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues
Presents information about States' efforts to improve their child welfare court systems. The site offers a bimonthly newsletter, a catalog that is searchable by State and topic, and more.
Court Improvement Project Community of Practice
Provides an online forum to encourage the open exchange of information, experiences, initiatives, and ideas related to CIPs. The website includes a community directory, calendar of events, and information on training, data and technology, legislation, interstate cases, Tribal issues, and more.
Fostering Court Improvement
Children and Family Resource Center, Barton Child Law and Policy Clinic, Fostering Results, & National Child Welfare Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues
Gives States an efficient mechanism for sharing data between dependency courts and child welfare agencies so they can more effectively manage systems. The website includes information on States participating in the initiative as well as resources that encourage the use of data to improve collaboration.
Dependency Court Improvement State Links
National Center for State Courts
Provides links to and brief descriptions of court improvement projects in 40 States.
Community Partnerships for Juvenile Dependency Court Improvement
ABA Center on Children and the Law (2005)
Presents a list of potential community partners for States to engage in support of their court improvement efforts.
Child Welfare: The Court Improvement Program
Congressional Research Service (2006)
View Abstract and Document
Provides an overview of the Court Improvement Program, its legislative history, structure, and funding.
National Evaluation of the Court Improvement Program
Explains a project designed to describe the paths followed by State courts to improve their oversight of foster care and adoption cases and analyze the outcomes achieved. The website offers evaluation results, including reviews and syntheses of State and local court reform activities, existing court reform evaluations, and State reassessments.
Some Sample Court Improvement Themes and Strategies to Consider Addressing in a PIP (PDF - 48 KB)
National Child Welfare Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues (2007)
Summarizes potential legal-judicial themes and strategies to address during the CFSR process, including delays in the legal process, improved legal representation, foster parent involvement, concurrent planning, and judicial performance.
State and local examples
Colorado Court Improvement Program Assessment Report, Federal Fiscal Year 2010 (PDF - 253 KB)
Colorado Supreme Court, Court Improvement Program (2010)
Describes the progress and outcomes of the basic, technology, and training grant strategic planning activities during October 2009 to September 2010.
Nebraska Court Improvement Project: 2005 Reassessment of Court and Legal System for Child Abuse and Neglect and Foster Care (PDF - 280 KB)
Nebraska Supreme Court & Center on Children, Families, and the Law, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2006)
Presents a reassessment of Nebraska's foster care legal system compared to an assessment conducted in 1996. The report addresses strengths and weaknesses in court staff training, the court appointed special advocate program, family group conferencing, and court-agency collaboration.
Nevada's Court Improvement Program: Basic Strategic Plan, FY 2010-FY 2014
Nevada Supreme Court (2009)
Outlines strategies and activities that incorporate coordinated and collaborative efforts to meet the goals of the CIP in Nevada. Also see the strategic plans for Data and Training.
Permanency Planning Mediation Pilot Program: The Michigan Experience (PDF - 1290 KB)
Eaton, Whalen, & Anderson
Michigan Child Welfare Law Journal, 10(3), 2007
Reviews the first 3 years of a pilot program for child protection mediation that was supported by the Michigan's Court Improvement Program and implemented at seven sites across the State.
A Re-Assessment of Tennessee's Judicial Process in Foster Care Cases: Volume I (PDF - 1370 KB)
Tennessee Supreme Court Improvement Program (2005)
Presents results from an assessment that combined quantitative and qualitative methods to collect indepth information on court practices related to children in foster care.
State CIP Assessments on the Legal and Judicial Role in Interstate Placement
National Child Welfare Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues
Offers survey instruments, legal reviews, and assessment plans from States assessing the effectiveness of courts in expediting the interstate placement of children.
State Specific Information on CIP Reassessments
National Child Welfare Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues
Provides a list of documents categorized by topic and by State/organization on Court Improvement Program reassessments. Includes links to surveys, court observation instruments, focus group interview guides, and other State resources.
University of Washington Court Improvement Training Academy
Provides a learning community for lawyers, judges, and other professionals involved in juvenile court dependency processes that brings together innovative research and practical solutions to improve operations and decision-making in courts.