Permanency Planning for Children Department

"To provide an environment for change by supporting and facilitating dependency court teams and by providing education and technical assistance to enable courts nationwide to meet their goals to improve practice in child abuse and neglect cases."

Every day, judges are faced with difficult decisions affecting abused and neglected children in our country. With approximately 517,000 abused and neglected children in foster care in the United States, judges and court personnel are continually challenged to find the best solutions for children and families.

The NCJFCJ Permanency Planning for Children Department (PPCD) plays an essential role in working with judges to ensure that each child's case is handled expeditiously and that safety, permanency, and well-being are paramount. Through national projects and initiatives, training, technical assistance, and research, the PPCD works with judges, jurisdictions and communities nationwide to implement best practices and improve outcomes for the nation's abused and neglected children and their families.

For more information on the various divisions and work of the PPCD please click on the following links: Victims Act Model Courts Project , Training and Technical Assistance Division, and Research

 NEW INITIATIVES AND PUBLICATIONS

Technical Assistance Brief, The State of Juvenile Dependency Court Research: Implications for Practice and Policy  (December 2008). Please access the What's New at PPCD link below for more information.

Toolkit for Court Performance Measures in Child Abuse and Neglect Cases (January 2009). Please click HERE to download an informational flyer, or click the What's New at PPCD link below.

The RESOURCE GUIDELINES: Supporting Best Practices and Building Foundations for Innovation in Child Abuse and Neglect Cases (Winter 2009). Click HERE to download the publication.

Technical Assistance Brief: Asking the Right Questions II: Judicial Checklists to Meet the Educational Needs of Children and Youth in Foster Care (December 2008).  Please access the What's New at PPCD link below for more information.

Courts Catalyzing Change: Achieving Equity and Fairness in Foster Care initiative. Please click HERE for webpage.

Judicial Responsibility in a Budget Crisis Environment Policy Statement. Please click HERE to download the statement.

Additional new collaborations, projects and information can be found under the What's New at PPCD section.