MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Resource Center on Domestic Violence: Child Protection and Custody is to provide access to the best possible source of information and tangible assistance to those working in the field of domestic violence and child protection and custody. The Resource Center continues to chart a future in which child protection and custody cases involving family violence are handled in a manner which recognizes the complexity of the legal, cultural, and psychological dynamics and provides protection and relief  for all victims in the family.

HISTORY

The Resource Center on Domestic Violence: Child Protection and Custody (Resource Center), is a project of the Family Violence Department (FVD) of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), was established in 1993 when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provided funding for a state-of-the-art network known as the Domestic Violence Resource Network (DVRN) which originally consisted of four domestic violence resource centers: the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, the Battered Women's Justice Project, the National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence, and the Resource Center.  Member Agencies of the DVRN now include: two national resource centers, three special issue resource centers, four culturally-specific Institutes, the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health, the National Network to End Domestic Violence, and the National Domestic Violence Hotline which are listed on our links page

Technical Assistance

The Resource Center provides a variety of technical assistance to those working in the field of domestic violence and child protection and custody, including judges, court workers, advocates, lawyers, child protective workers, law enforcement personnel, and other professionals.  The Resource Center features a staff with diverse professional and educational backgrounds working together to provide the best in technical assistance.  While staff are prohibited from providing legal advice to individuals requesting assistance with their personal cases, staff members do work to assess the needs of each caller and tailor assistance to meet those needs.  Available technical assistance includes:

• Customized information packets;
• General phone information;
• Program materials;
• Access to publications;
• National experts database;
• Domestic violence statute database;
• Resources, working and training materials;
• Synergy newsletter distributed twice a year; and
• Specialized assistance to Greenbook Initiative grantees and Safe Havens grantees.

Training Assistance
 
The NCJFCJ and its Family Violence Department bring many years of quality, national-level training experience to the resource center. Staff members work in conjunction with those in the field to develop training on the impact of domestic violence on children and child protection and custody issues in the context of family violence. Staff works cooperatively with callers to develop and provide training appropriate to the unique needs of each community or professional group. Staff also works in conjunction with national experts to develop and provide training materials.
 
Policy Development
 
Services for battered mothers and the impact of domestic violence on children are continuing areas of scholarship, research, public policy, and the law. The resource center provides leadership to improve services and court practices by:

• Convening annually a multidisciplinary panel of experts to assist in the development of policy recommendations;
• Developing special projects to address needs in the field;
• Gathering experts and consultants in policy working groups to tackle specific complex issues.

Publications
 
The FVD has created a number of leading family violence publications, all of which are available through the Resource Center.  These publications provide comprehensive suggestions for model court practice; legislation in family violence; and policy for collaboration among child protection workers, domestic violence service providers, and the courts.  

For those needing immediate assistance, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 (TTY: 800-787-3224).

Family Violence Department - (800) 527-3223 or (800) 52-PEACE
Fax (775) 784-6160 - fvdinfo@ncjfcj.org