Model Courts Serve Abused and Neglected Children

• NCJ Number: 175087
• Author(s): Mary Mentaberry
• Date Published: January 1999
• Length: 2 pages
• Agencies: OJJDP

Annotation

This Victims Act Model Courts initiative of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges is a nationwide effort to improve how courts handle child abuse and neglect cases that is helping children spend less time in foster care and resulting in earlier resolution of cases in dependency courts.

Abstract

The Council's Permanency Planning for Children Department educates judges and other practitioners, has released a major publication in 1995 to help courts better respond to child victims, and currently oversees 17 Model Courts in 16 States. These Model Court jurisdictions have implemented varied programs that other courts can easily replicated. These include one-family/one-judge court calendars, family group conferencing, mediation programs, and expanded preliminary protective hearings. Model Court innovations are resulting in significant and measurable outcomes for children. Case examples, list of Model Court jurisdictions, and sources of further information