Family drug courts, also known as dependency drug courts, utilize a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach to serve parents and families that enter child welfare due to parental substance use disorders. Resources on this page present research on the benefits of family drug courts.
Addressing the Needs of Families Affected by Substance Abuse in the Child Welfare System
Breitenbucher (2015)
The Judges' Page Newsletter, Summer
Describes how family drug courts bring together substance use treatment providers, mental health providers, and social services agencies to meet the needs of families. These courts seek to provide safe environments for children with judicial monitoring and interventions to treat parental substance use disorders and other co-occurring risk factors for child abuse and neglect.
The Big 7 – Key Ingredients for an Effective Dependency Drug Court (PDF - 2,540 KB)
Breitenbucher (2017)
National Family Drug Court Training and Technical Assistance Program, Children and Family Futures, and National Association of Drug Court Professionals
Provides an overview of the family drug court model along. The presentation reviews the challenges, barriers, and facilitators of effective implementation and gives information on how to access training and technical assistance resources.
Family Drug Courts (PDF - 362 KB)
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (2016)
Presents an overview of family drug courts, which handle cases of child abuse and neglect that include substance use by the child's parents or guardians. This literature review examines the target population for these courts, explores goals, and presents outcomes.
Family Drug Treatment Courts
Justice Speaker Institute
Provides an overview of family drug treatment courts, which work with families who are affected by substance use and involved in the child welfare system. The courts aim to provide safe, nurturing, and permanent homes for children while providing parents with the support and services they need to become healthy and reunify with their children.
Family Treatment Court Planning Guide (PDF - 2,210 KB)
National Drug Court Institute & Center for Children and Family Futures (2018)
Explores the history of family treatment courts, the services they provide, why they are needed, and more. This guide also explains how a family treatment court can be launched in a jurisdiction.
Family Treatment Court: The Judge as a Therapeutic Intervention
Barber (2015)
The Judges' Page Newsletter, Summer
Describes how family treatment courts are a proven model of family intervention for serving families where parental substance use is central to involvement in the child welfare system.
Family Treatment Drug Courts
County Health Rankings & Roadmaps (2016)
Explores family treatment drug courts as an option for parents involved in the child welfare system who may lose custody of their children due to substance use. The website reviews
Guidance to States: Recommendations for Developing Family Drug Court Guidelines (PDF - 2,796 KB)
Children and Family Futures (2015)
Provides information on best practices and collaborative principles to develop and sustain Family Drug Courts. The Guidelines will assist policy makers and practitioners to enhance and expand these programs across the country.
How Does Family Drug Treatment Court Participation Affect Child Welfare Outcomes?
Gifford, Eldred, Vernerey, & Sloan (2014)
Child Abuse and Neglect, 38(10)
View Abstract
Examines the effectiveness of FDTCs in North Carolina on child welfare outcomes. The report considers three types of parental participation in a FDTC referral, enrolling, and completing an FDTC program.
A New Approach – Family Treatment Courts as Part of a Continuum of Care (PDF - 7,168 KB)
Lemus & Richter (2018)
Children and Family Futures
Discusses the opportunities and challenges of building a continuum of care that is responsive to families' needs and provides proven practices to all families involved with child welfare affected by substance use disorders. The presentation explores approaches in Jefferson County (CO) and Wapello County (IA) as that integrate family treatment courts into a continuum of care.
Seven Common Ingredients for Family Treatment Courts
Kushins, Butner, & Wilson, (2017)
Child Law Practice Today, May/June
Highlights research on the seven common ingredients to heal families impacted by substance use disorders and discusses family treatment courts as a solution to help parents receive quality treatment and reunify with their children. The article also offers questions for child welfare and court professionals to ask to effectively advocate for reasonable services.
Strengths Based Approaches to Practice and Family Drug Courts: Is There a Fit?
Lloyd & Brook (2015)
Journal of Family Strengths, 14(1)
Examines the intersection of family drug courts and strengths-based practices.
ZERO TO THREE Family Drug Treatment Court and Other Musings for a Better Court Response to Infants and Toddlers
Johnson (2014)
The Judges' Page Newsletter, Summer
Discusses how family drug treatment courts meet the needs of infants and young children. The article also focuses on recovery for parents and permanency for babies.