Resources Developed by State Court Improvement Projects

Resources include resource guides, reports, and practice models that States have developed through court improvement projects.

Advocacy and Legal Representation in Child Abuse and Neglect Cases (PDF - 120 KB)
Shaening and Associates, Inc. & New Mexico Court Improvement Project (2005)
Explores roles, responsibilities, and professional standards of the guardian ad litem, youth attorney, and respondent's attorney, including specific contact with the child, court performance, and involvement in the case.

Assessment of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (PDF - 396 KB)
Texas Court Improvement Program (2008)
Provides an analysis of the current law on the interstate placement of children, the practices and procedures used by referring agencies and courts, and the legal and practical barriers to safe and timely placement. The report considers possible resolutions to specific problems in the system and evaluates the feasibility of implementing practices in Texas.

Building Bridges: The Case for Sharing Data Between the Court and Child Welfare Systems: White Paper (PDF - 604 KB)
New York State Child Welfare Court Improvement Project (2008)
Describes national activity around the issue of court and agency data sharing, progress New York State has made in information sharing, potential benefits for courts and child welfare agencies, and opportunities and challenges inherent in developing a support system for information sharing.

The Effect of MEPA-IEP Legislation in Ohio: A Guide to the Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994 as Amended by the Interethnic Adoption Provisions of 1996 (PDF - 276 KB)
Lord
Children, Families, and the Courts Ohio Bulletin, 2(2), 2005
Reviews the implications of MEPA-IEP legislation for Ohio, examines the compliance of Ohio and Hamilton County with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and MEPA-IEP, summarizes review findings for other States and jurisdictions, and outlines activities implemented in Ohio to address these issues. The report includes a MEPA-IEP self-assessment instrument.

Family Guide to Dependency Court [Video]
Florida State Courts (2007)
Provides an overview of the dependency court system for parents involved in the child welfare system.

A Handbook for Parents and Guardians in Child Abuse and Neglect Cases: What You Need to Know About the Court Process and the People Helping You With Your Case (PDF - 260 KB)
Shaening and Associates, Inc. & New Mexico Court Improvement Project (2007)
Explains why parents have to go to court, what happens when a child is removed from the home, the role of individuals involved in the case, the timeline for cases, the goals of mediation, and the rights and responsibilities of parents.

Preserving Connections: Helping Children and Youth Develop and Maintain Connections (PDF - 176 KB)
Shaening and Associates, Inc. & New Mexico Court Improvement Project (2007)
Provides information to support those who work with foster youth on the types of connections that should be preserved—birth parents, siblings, grandparents and other relatives, foster families, schools, and cultural connections—and strategies to preserve them.

The Time Is Now: A Video for Parents
West Virginia Court Improvement Program (2010)
Explains child abuse and neglect investigations and discusses the goals of investigations for parents and caregivers involved in the child welfare system.

Understanding the Child Abuse and Neglect Legal System: A Resource for School Staff, Service Providers, Law Enforcement, Foster Parents, Advocates, and Others Who Work With Children and Families (PDF - 156 KB)
Shaening and Associates, Inc. & New Mexico Court Improvement Project (2007)
Explains the child abuse and neglect legal system in New Mexico and why the court is involved in such cases, how abuse and neglect affects families, the timeline and steps in a court case, the purposes of different hearings, and the roles of different individuals in the court case.