7/1/09 -- Every day, juvenile and family court judges hear difficult and contentious cases involving child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, custody and visitation, and juvenile delinquency. The Reno, Nevada-based National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) will explore these issues among many others at its 72nd Annual Conference, scheduled July 12-15, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Chicago. More than 600 juvenile and family court judges, related professionals, exhibitors, and staff are scheduled to participate in the annual conference proceedings.

More than 45 workshops and plenary sessions will be presented, on such topics as child abuse and neglect, substance abuse, accountability, juvenile detention alternatives, Native American issues, domestic violence, juvenile justice reform, and other topics intrinsic to juvenile and family courts. Plenary session and workshop highlights will include:

•   The Opening Session at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, July 13, will include welcome remarks from Congressman Danny Davis of Chicago; Judge Patricia Martin, Child Protection Division, Juvenile Court of Cook County; and other state and local dignitaries. The South Shore Drill Team and Performing Arts Ensemble will present the colors.

•   The Keynote address on July 13 at 9:00 a.m. by Chief Justice Judith Kaye (ret.) of the New York Court of Appeals, entitled “On the Road to Change: Building Off-Ramps for At-Risk Adolescents,” will focus on how judges and system professionals can help at-risk youth avoid risks such as involvement in the justice system, unplanned pregnancy, and homelessness.

•   “Red Rover, Red Rover – Our Youth are Cross-Over” will examine how best to serve children involved in more than one justice system, including dependency, juvenile, child support, and family violence. July 13, 10:30 am-11:45 am

•   A Luncheon performance of “Strong Connections” will be presented by The Unheard, a performing troupe of the Chicago non-profit organizations Adoptions Unlimited and Still Point Theatre Collective. July 13, 12:00 noon

•   “Engaging Fathers in the Child Protection Court Process: The Judicial Role” will address why fathers are not involved in child protection proceedings, and how judges can engage them in the process. July 13, 1:30-2:45 pm

•   “Childhood Exposure to Violence: Strengthening the Response of Communities and Leadership” will discuss the risks and consequences of childhood exposure to violence, and initiatives underway in Chicago and around the country to help professionals understand and deal with the issue. July 13, 3:00-4:15 pm

•   “Understanding the Hip Hop Generation” – This plenary session will examine this subculture, its influence, and how to reach this generation. July 14, 8:30-9:15 am

•   “DMC from a Community Perspective” will examine the issue of disproportionate minority contact and the work of Cook County’s South Suburban Disproportionate Minority Confinement Forum on Youth Foundation in involving the community to combat inequity. July 14, 9:30-10:45 am

•   “Why I Gotta Be So Hard: Understanding Girl Offenders’ Involvement in School Violence” will discuss how and why girls are using violence, and what processes are promoting such exchanges. July 14, 9:30-10:45 am

•    “The Long Road to Building a Mediation Program: A Process that Matters” will examine Cook County Circuit Court Child Protection Program’s mediation program which helps remove barriers to permanency for abused and neglected children. July 14, 11:00-12:15 pm

•    “Domestic Violence Screening in a Court-Ordered Custody and Visitation Mediation Program” will discuss the issues surrounding custody cases involving domestic violence. July 14, 2:00-3:15 pm

•   “Courts and Social Media” will explore how the revolution in communication – including blogs, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube – is affecting the courts. July 14, 3:30-4:45 pm

•   “Truancy and Juvenile Justice: Diversion from Courts” discusses court diversion programs that work to keep children in school. July 15, 8:30-9:45 am

•   “A Collaborative Supervised Visitation Model to Promote Safety in Protection Orders” will focus on the experiences of Chicago’s Safe Haven Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Program in increasing safety for victims of domestic violence. July 15, 8:30-9:45 am

•   The Closing General Session on July 15 will feature motivational speaker and humorist John Riley who will speak about the importance of attitude in the challenging work of the juvenile and family courts (10:00-11:15 am). William Modzeleski, Associate Assistant Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Education. will address the need for collaboration between education and juvenile justice agencies (11:15-11:30 am).
 
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