The National Council for Juvenile and Family Court Judges Permanency Planning for Children Department works with a group of juvenile and family courts identified as the Victims Act Model Courts.  

The Model Courts, working with the acclaimed best practices bench books RESOURCE GUIDELINES: Improving Court Practice in Child Abuse & Neglect Cases, and the ADOPTION AND PERMANENCY GUIDELINES , identify impediments to the timeliness of court events and delivery of services for families with children in care, and then design and implement court- and agency-based changes to address these barriers. Offering technical assistance and training, dependency practices and innovations are pilot-tested and refined as part of ongoing court and multi-agency systems change efforts.  PPCD staff collaborates with the Model Courts to identify key stakeholders, include them in the strategic planning processes; begin assessing systems’ functioning; target specific, attainable goals; provide the information, materials, faculty, and mentors necessary to reach these goals; and support ongoing efforts to effect substantive, sustainable change.

The Model Courts project also hosts an annual All-Sites Conference and Lead Judges meeting where all involved stakeholders can network and discover court innovations as well as learn about current  issues affecting the judicial system. For more information about becoming a Model Court see the Frequently Asked Questions section, to view current Model Courts see the National Council Model Court Profiles.

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