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Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Serving Children, Families, and Communities

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Model Dependency Courts Initiative

Evaluation

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FAQs

Through the Model Dependency Courts Initiative, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) provides intensive training and technical assistance to improve the courts' handling of child abuse and neglect cases and to ensure more timely decisionmaking in permanency planning. Studies indicate that children who are abused and neglected are at significantly higher risk for academic failure, chronic delinquency, adult criminal behavior, antisocial personality disorder, and violent crime. In addition, as a child's length of time in out-of-home care increases, the probability of negative outcomes also increases. Preliminary research suggests that more efficient and effective dependency courts can reduce the length of time children spend in the system.

The Model Courts Project is a network of juvenile and family courts in 31 states and the District of Columbia that collaborates to enhance court processes and help children in foster care find permanent homes. Drawing on the best practices bench books, Resource Guidelines and Adoption and Permanency Guidelines, as guides to systems reform, the project identifies impediments to timely court practices and delivery of services to children in care and their families as a prelude to designing and implementing strategies that address those barriers. With technical assistance and training from the Permanency Planning for Children Department of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Courts Judges, such innovative practices are tested and refined as part of ongoing systems change.

Congress earmarks funding to NCJFCJ through OJJDP.

Training and Technical Assistance

NCJFCJ provides intensive training and technical assistance to designated model courts. Limited assistance may be available to other jurisdictions as well. Interested parties should contact NCJFCJ's Permanency Planning for Children Department (see Contacts).

OJJDP Contact(s)

Cecilia Duquela-Fuentes, J.D.
Program Manager
202-514-9372
cecilia.duquela@usdoj.gov

Training and Technical Assistance Contact(s)

NCJFCJ
Permanency Planning for Children Department
P.O. Box 8970
Reno, NV 89507
775-327-5300
http://www.ncjfcj.org/content/blogcategory/131/169/

Nancy Miller
Director
775-784-6675
nmiller@ncjfcj.org

OJJDP Publication(s)

Model Courts Serve Abused and Neglected Children
Fact Sheet, January 1999. Presents information on the Model Courts initiative, a collaboration between the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and OJJDP. 2 pages. FS 9990.
Abstract

Other Resources

Resource Guidelines: Improving Court Practice in Child Abuse & Neglect Cases. NCJFCJ.