This judge’s action alert highlights: – The value of kinship care – The critical role of judges play in engaging and supporting kinship families – New federal rules adopted to support a kin-first culture…
In 2021, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) received funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Victims of Crime (OVC)1 to provide training and technical assistance to four grantee…
InFOCUS: State Initiatives for Dual System Youth: A National Scan shares how 50 states and territories are working to better support dual system youth (DSY). The report highlights the challenges these youth face, like unstable placements,…
The juvenile justice and criminal justice systems have different goals (Kupchik, 2003). While both are concerned with community safety and accountability, the juvenile system has a focus on rehabilitation where the criminal system is oriented…
The NCJFCJ, in partnership with OurFamilyWizard, has released Trauma-Informed Courtroom Practices: A Bench Card for Judges, designed to support judges in making informed decisions when working with children and families affected by trauma. The bench card and supplemental…
Families and couples with active-duty service members live in every community across the country, and not just in locations with military installations nearby. By virtue of their military connection and employment, active-duty personnel have unique…
Civil Protection Orders (CPOs) are an important tool available to victims of intimate partner violence. For CPOs to be an effective tool, they must be enforceable. These bench cards are intended to be a reference…
This judge’s action alert highlights: – how reasonable efforts findings support children and families in the child welfare system. – how the Family First Act strengthens judges’ reasonable efforts findings. – how to use the…
This publication provides brief descriptions of various reports and their importance in a court’s continuous quality improvement (CQI) efforts in child welfare cases; general specifications regarding how the reports can be constructed, including templates with…
This publication is an update to the Issues in Focus section of the Civil Protection Orders: A Guide for Improving Practice, also known as the CPO Guide. The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court…
This judge’s action alert shares considerations for judges for sustaining remote/virtual hearing approaches and ensuring they are conducted in a high-quality way. These considerations address: laying the groundwork for combining remote/virtual and in-person court hearings;…
This judge’s action alert highlights how judges can promote the health and well-being of children in the child welfare system during challenging times. It examines the impact of disruptive events like the COVID-19 pandemic on…