2007 All-Sites Conference and Lead Judges Meeting in New Orleans!

This year's All-Sites Conference and Lead Judges meeting was held in historic New Orleans from October 3 - 5.  The theme of the 2007 All-Sites Conference was "Model Courts: The Next Generation- Leading Efforts to Improve Outcomes for Children and Families." With a welcome by New Orleans Model Court Lead Judge, Ernestine Gray, the All-Sites Conference had workshops and discussion groups covering such topics as minority overrepresentation, drug depedency issues, dental health, vicarious trauma and youth in foster care among other other topics.

The plenary presentation by Dr. Pitts Hinson and Dr. Beverly Largent, the former and incoming Presidents of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry; and Judge Cindy Lederman, highlighted the importance of dental health in abused and neglected children. The presentation, and subsequent workshops, introduced the Children's Dental Health Month initiative to the Model Courts, which was enthusiastically received by the Model Courts as a topic to pursue in 2008.

The "Next Generation" of the Model Courts focused on maintaining the Model Courts as leaders in local system improvement and expanding their roles in statewide and national systemic reform. Each of the Model Courts also committed to adopting a common goal to reduce the overrepresentation of minority children in the foster care system. The Casey Family Programs Breakthrough Series Collaborative began this important work and through the Victims Act Model Courts Project , and with new funding from Casey, a national working group will be convened to set a broad national agenda.

Additional highlights of the conference included a presentation on the evolution of the Model Courts by Judge Leonard Edwards (ret.) and a kick-off special dinner hosted by Casey Family Programs and the NCJFCJ to develop tools for addressing disproportionality and disparities for children of color in the child welfare system.

The 2008 All-Sites Conference will again be held in New Orleans, Louisiana from September 24 - 26. For more information please contact ebarnes@ncjfcj.org