Model Courts

The Model Courts Project is sponsored by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. The council provides tools, training, and technical assistance to court systems to pilot-test and refine change efforts for courts and multiagency systems. Resources include State and local examples.

Healing Families: An Outcome Evaluation of a Community Family Court
Rivera
Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 59(1), 2008
View Abstract
Presents a model for a community family court program that aims to break the intergenerational cycle of crime and substance abuse by treating families holistically, including an overview of the court's evolution and the development of a wraparound style intervention.

Healing the Youngest Children: Model Court-Community Partnerships (PDF - 1630 KB)
Hudson, Klain, Smariga, & Youcha (2007)
Describes four model court-community partnerships that applied research to court practices to improve outcomes for maltreated infants, toddlers, and their families.

Model Court Experiences Regarding 'Drugs of Choice' (PDF - 812 KB)
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
Judges' Page Newsletter, 2005
Presents responses from judges and court representatives about drugs of choice, impacts on caseloads, and the effects of addiction on children and families seen in court.

Model Courts: Improving Outcomes for Abused and Neglected Children and Their Families (PDF - 1240 KB)
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (2006)
Explains the benefits of participating in model courts as well as the project's achievements and outcomes.

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State and local examples

Court-Based Education Efforts for Children in Foster Care: The Experience of the Pima County Juvenile Court (PDF - 548 KB)
Taitano (2007)
Describes a model court project in Pima County, Arizona, that focused on improving educational outcomes for children and youth in foster care. The report includes suggestions for other jurisdictions interested in designing and implementing their own reform initiatives.

The El Paso, Texas, 65th Judicial District Children's Court: Evaluation of Model Court Activities (1999-2001)
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (2002)
View Abstract
Outlines an assessment of the court's achievement in six major court improvement goals, and includes recommendations for improvement.

Fragmented Courts and Child Protection Cases: A Modest Proposal for Reform
Moran
Family Court Review, 40(4), 2002
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Describes a proposal for a model court project as an alternative to adjudicating child abuse and neglect cases in Kings County, New York.

The Impact of Model Court Reform in Arizona on the Processing of Child Abuse and Neglect Cases
National Center for Juvenile Justice
Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 53(3), 2002
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Presents results from a comparative analysis of cases managed before and after the implementation of the model court system that show improved outcomes for children and significant cost savings.

Model Court Approaches to Information Technology: A Dependency Court Data System Implementation Guide
Portune
Technical Assistance Bulletin, 6, 2002
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Provides guidelines and recommendations for creating data systems in juvenile dependency courts and reviews the experiences of model courts that have implemented them.

Owning ASFA
Family Court of the State of New York
Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 53(4), 2002
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Outlines strategies used by the New York City Model Court to implement an expedited permanency project to improve outcomes for children within its jurisdiction and comply with the timelines of the Adoption and Safe Families Act.

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