NCJFCJ’s Board of Trustees met on March 14, 2010, during the National Conference on Juvenile and Family Law in Las Vegas, Nev., and voted to support the elimination of the Valid Court Order exception as proposed in the reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act.  According to NCJFCJ President Judge Douglas Johnson, "The Board's decision to support the elimination of the VCO exception came after careful consideration, debate, and reflection. The NCJFCJ continues our commitment to improve the lives of children and parents in our juvenile and family courts."
 
There has been much debate in recent years about the existence of the VCO exception as well as the efforts to eliminate it. In order to answer some of the questions and concerns that have arisen, we will include information on this page to attempt to clarify the issue and offer solutions to courts struggling with issues involving status offenders.

• Winter 2011 TODAY magazine feature "The Court's Role in Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline"
• NCJFCJ passes resolution in support of evidence-based resources for status offenders -- Georgia and Virginia pass similar resolutions
• Summer 2010 TODAY magazine feature: "Improving Outcomes for Status Offenders in the JJPDA Reauthorization"
• Article by Judges Steven Teske and Brian Huff in Spring 2010 Juvenile & Family Court Journal
• VCO Background Information - Juvenile and Family Justice Today (Spring 2010)
• NCJFCJ Juvenile and Family Law Advisory Committee Report (March 2010)
• A Pivotal Moment for Judicial Leadership - Coalition for Juvenile Justice
• Act 4 Juvenile Justice Campaign Information
• National Network for Youth Recommendations