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Events & Announcements
Conferences and other event information
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The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges is
dedicated to serving
the nation's children and families by improving the courts of
juvenile and family jurisdictions.
Website...
Read NCJFCJ’s
resolutions endorsing CASA: one in support of
creating and expanding CASA/GAL programs
(64KB PDF) and the other in
support of
recruiting CASA volunteers of color.
(46 KB PDF) |
National Court Appointed Special
Advocates
What do CASA volunteers do and how did the CASA movement begin?
Read more... |
CASA/GAL "Judges' Corner" Resource Center
This
page is
designed as a resource and information center to provide judges
the tools they need to work effectively with the local CASA/GAL
program. Listings include resources for establishing or
expanding a CASA/GAL program and news of program and financial
development innovations. Read
more... |
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NCJFCJ’s Juvenile and Family Justice TODAY
features articles encouraging judges to use CASA volunteers to
promote child well-being.
Read more... |
 "The
child welfare system is very large, and it is easy for a child
to get lost in it. The CASA volunteers that my colleagues and I
have assigned have been instrumental in making sure that the
children's best interests are safeguarded to the best of
everyone's abilities."
—Immediate Past President, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court
Judges Dale R. Koch |
 “This
has been the most rewarding volunteer job that I have
ever had—because I am helping the children who need help. I love
it because I can make a positive difference in their lives.”
—Gwen Bright, CASA Volunteer, Columbia, SC |
 "As
a child, having a CASA volunteer meant having somebody that I
knew was on my side. So many times the little kid feels caught
in the middle and feels as if nobody hears what you have to
say….Having a CASA made me feel like I had somebody who was on
my team.'"
—Maleah Truelove,
Former foster youth |
ABA Center on Children and the Law
The American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law:
Improving children's lives through advances in law, justice,
knowledge, practice and public policy.
Website... |
Child Welfare Information Gateway
A service of the Children's Bureau, Administration for Children
and Families and US Department of Health and Human Services, the
Child Welfare Information Gateway provides a wealth of
information to promote the safety, permanency and well-being of
children and families. Resources include a state statutes search
of issues related to child abuse and neglect, child welfare and
adoption and a listing of organizations that provide information
on child welfare legal issues.
Website... |
National Foster Care and Adoption
Directory
A free, searchable online directory of foster
care and adoption resources in every state, the District of
Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin
Islands. Website... |
Chief Justices and State Court
Administrators
Read an
excerpt from their joint resolution endorsing CASA |
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The Role of the Dependency Court
in Achieving Timely Permanency
The judge is in a unique position to provide leadership that
ensures that in dependency cases, child safety is of paramount
concern and permanent placement decisions are made in a timely
manner. Articles in this issue of The Judges’ Page
address the roles and perspectives of those involved in the
court process and feature court-based programs that exhibit
innovative practices to expedite permanency.
—Judge J. Dean Lewis, Editor
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The newsletter
of The Judges' Page website - July 2008 |
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The Role of the Dependency Court
in Achieving Timely Permanency
J. Dean Lewis, Judge (retired), Former Member,
National CASA Association Board of Directors and Past
President, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court
Judges
SUMMARY - The judge is in a
unique position to ensure that all federal and state
legal requirements regarding timely permanent placement
are being met. Articles in this issue of The Judges'n
Page address the roles and perspectives of those
involved in the court process and provide examples of
court-based programs exhibiting innovative practices to
expedite permanency for children.
Article... |
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Achieving Timely
Permanency by Front-Loading the Child Protection System
Judge Leonard Edwards (retired)
SUMMARY - Achieving timely
permanency for foster children is a critical goal for
the courts, and it is a goal that can be reached as long
as judges prioritize child protection cases and follow
the best practices that have been developed over the
past decade. Article... |
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Importance of Effective
Legal Representation of Children to Achieve Permanency
Amanda Donnelly, Staff Attorney/Policy & Special
Projects, National Association of Counsel for Children
SUMMARY - Effective legal
representation of children contributes to a better
informed court, more timely decisions and improved
outcomes. The focus of the child’s attorney should be on
the child’s permanency, safety and well-being at each
stage of the court process.
Article... |
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Role and
Responsibilities of the CASA/GAL Volunteer
Sally Erny, Chief Program Officer, National CASA
Association
SUMMARY - The prescribed
roles and responsibilities of CASA/GAL volunteers put
them in a unique position to inform the court of the
immediacy of a child’s need to achieve timely
permanency. Article... |
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Effective Advocacy for
Parents of Children Involved in the Child Welfare System
Mimi Laver, JD, Director of Legal Education, ABA
Center on Children and the Law
SUMMARY - Providing
effective legal representation for parents involves a
combination of adhering to standards; understanding the
strengths and needs of clients; and working
collaboratively with other parties to the case.
Article... |
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Elevate Participants
Share Their Perspectives on Permanency and Other Issues
Affecting Foster Youth
Stephanie M. DuRocher, Communications
Coordinator, Elevate
SUMMARY - Elevate youth
advocate for themselves and for change within the foster
care system. Article... |
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Back to the Basics:
Achieving Permanency for Infants and Toddlers Through
the Resource Guidelines and Adoption and
Permanency Guidelines
Douglas F. Johnson, Vice President,
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
SUMMARY - When the
stakeholders are well trained on the Resource
Guidelines and Adoption and Permanency Guidelines,
judges should receive probative information about
infants, toddlers and their parents.
Article... |
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Conflict Resolution in
Child Welfare: A Think Tank on Child Protection Decision-Making
Download the think tank summary
(PDF) prepared by Joan Kathol and Bernie Mayer of Creighton University. |
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Stopping the Drift:
Maintaining Family Connections for Foster Children
Wilma Friesema, MFT, Hawaii Model Court
SUMMARY - In Hawaii, the
child welfare system, family courts and community family
service agencies are exerting a concerted and
cooperative effort to reduce the pattern of family
separation and disconnection that has existed in the
foster care system for years. Helping foster children
stay anchored in their families and connected to
supportive services has reduced foster care drift and
improved the youth’s prospects for leading happy and
productive lives.
Article... |
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Developing the Permanency
Collaborative Review Hearing
Susan Parnell, Court Mediator, Pima County Juvenile
Court
Chris Swenson-Smith, MSW, Pima County Juvenile Court
SUMMARY - Pima County
Juvenile Court’s Permanency Collaborative Review Hearing
(PCRV) model incorporates behavioral health and natural
supports into an action-oriented effort to achieve
permanency for children.
Article... |
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Achieving Permanency
Through Tribal-State Judicial Cooperation
Donna J. Goldsmith, Esq., Chair, NCJFCJ ICWA/ Tribal
Courts Committee
Hon. Korey Wahwassuck, Chief Judge, Leech Lake Tribal
Court and Vice Chair, NCJFCJ ICWA Tribal Courts
Committee
SUMMARY - Joint
tribal-state decision-making maximizes use of all
relevant resources; allows both the state and tribal
courts to be as fully informed as possible prior to
making any decision that will affect the child’s future;
and encourages decision-making that will likely better
reflect all of the child’s needs.
Article... |
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Web Resources: The Role
of the Dependency Court in Achieving Timely Permanency
Paula Campbell, Permanency Planning for Children
Department, NCJFCJ
SUMMARY - The following
websites offer judges, attorneys, CASA volunteers, social
workers, youth and others resources to assist in
permanency planning efforts.
Article... |
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The comments of article authors
do not necessarily reflect the policies of the National CASA
Association or the National Council of Juvenile and Family
Court Judges. |
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| Current Issue Printer-Friendly Version |
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July 2008 -
The Role of the Dependency Court
in Achieving Timely Permanency (424 KB PDF) |
| Newsletter Past Issues |
Feb 2008 -
International Issues in Dependency Court Cases (278
KB PDF)
Oct 2007 -
Reasonable Efforts in the Dependency Court
(654 KB PDF)
Aug 2007 -
The Role of
Foster Parents in the Dependency Court issue (191 KB PDF)
Mar 2007 -
Children and Youth Involved in the Court Experience Issue (992
KB PDF)
Oct 2006 -
Court-CASA
Best Practices
Issue (383 KB PDF)
Jun 2006 -
Family Visitation
Issue (357 KB PDF)
Feb 2006 -
Mental Health Issue (263 KB PDF)
Oct 2005 -
Child Development and Parenting Issue (895 KB PDF)
Jun 2005 -
Educational Advocacy Issue (779 KB PDF)
Feb 2005 -
Parental Substance Abuse Issue (812 KB PDF)
Oct 2004 -
Family Violence Issue
(900 KB PDF)
July 2004 -
Foster Care Reform
Issue (187 KB PDF)
Apr 2004 -
Indian Child Welfare
Act Issue (141 KB PDF)
Dec 2003 -
Inaugural Issue
(107 KB PDF) |
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