Many courts across the country, in connection with child welfare agencies, are working to improve their processes or reform their systems to achieve better outcomes for children and families involved in child abuse and neglect cases.

Determining the Best Interests of the Child

Series Title
State Statutes
Author(s)
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Availability
View
Download (PDF - 393KB)
Year Published
2020
Discusses State laws that present the factors that courts need to consider when making decisions about a child's appropriate custody and care. Factors to be considered include parental capacity to provide adequate care, sibling and other family relationships, and the child's wishes. The publication also addresses the definition of best interests and guiding principles of best interests determinations.

Enhanced Resource Guidelines: Improving Court Practice in Child Abuse and Neglect Cases 
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (2016)
Provides historical information on the need for guidelines to improve courts’ handling of child abuse and neglect cases, an explanation of the revision process, and new key principles to enhance court practice in child abuse and neglect cases.

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 (2017)
Provides data  and resources for dependency courts and child welfare agencies to use to make informed decisions, manage operations, monitor performance, and make systemic changes to improve outcomes for children and families.

A Guide to Conducting Effective Training Evaluations: Recommendations, Strategies, and Tools for Dependency Court Improvement Programs
National Child Welfare Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues (2014)
Provides recommendations, strategies, and tools for dependency court improvement programs.

Process Evaluation: Courts Catalyzing Change (CCC) Preliminary Protective Hearing Benchcard 
Gonzalez & Summers (2014)
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
Describes findings from a multisite process evaluation that examined dependency court judge's and stakeholder's perceptions of a tool to improve court practice and reduce the disproportionate treatment of children of color in the dependency court system.

Redefining Judicial Leadership: Stories of Transformative Practice 
Chiamulera & Gueller (2020)
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
Presents stories of current and former lead judges who made a commitment to improve court practice to better meet the needs of children and families in their local communities. The report profiles each judge, describes how they have worked to improve the court, and provides lessons learned and takeaways for the entire judicial and legal community. 

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