NCJ Number
169449
Journal
ABA Journal Volume: 83 Dated: (December 1997) Pages: 44-51
Date Published
1997
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article assesses the system for adjudicating cases of child abuse and neglect, with attention to how Cook County (Illinois) and some Florida juvenile courts have addressed this issue.
Abstract
With a rise in crack cocaine and methamphetamine use as well as teen pregnancy, home for many children has become increasingly dangerous. Highly publicized reports of child deaths also have contributed to a surge in complaints of child endangerment over the past decade, from 2.2 million in 1987 to 3.1 million in 1996. Courts and social agencies, however, have traditionally done little to solve the problems. Child welfare cases are often handled by incompetent, inexperienced, poorly trained, adversarial, poorly motivated court personnel and child welfare caseworkers. The children suffer and sometimes die as a result of such a dysfunctional system. Reform may be starting to emerge from judges, lawyers, and the agencies themselves. In places like Chicago, ineffective juvenile court judges and lawyers are being replaced with those who want to practice there. Illinois is attempting to cut costs and provide effective child and family services by using an HMO, managed-care style of operation for child welfare cases. In Florida, new community-based programs that offer crucial family services such as substance abuse treatment and parenting classes are trying to make the system more accountable to the public and the families it is supposed to help.