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Working with the Courts in Child Protection

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Working with the Courts in Child Protection CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT USER MANUAL SERIES Working with the Courts in Child Protection U.U.S.S. Depanment Department of of Health Health and and Human Human Services Services AdAdministrationministration for for Children Children and and Families Families AdAdministrationministration on on Children, Children, Youth Youth and and Families Families ChChildren’sildren's Bureau Bureau OfOfficefice on on Child Child Abuse Abuse and and Neglect Neglect Working with the Courts in Child Protection The Honorable William G. Jones 2006 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families Administration on Children, Youth and Families ChildrenÊs Bureau Office on Child Abuse and Neglect Table of Contents PREFACE ......................................................................................................................................................1 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ....................................................................................................................... 3 1. PURPOSE AND OVERVIEW ....................................................................................................... 5 2. THE COURT SYSTEM AND CHILD PROTECTION ................................................................ 7 Jurisdiction .....................................................................................................................................7 Juvenile Court .................................................................................................................................7 Specialized Courts ...........................................................................................................................8 Powers of the Court ......................................................................................................................10 The Rights of Parents and Children in Child Maltreatment Cases................................................. 13 3. THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN CHILD MALTREATMENT LEGISLATION AND CASEWORKER PRACTICE ....................................................................................................... 17 The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act............................................................................ 17 The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act............................................................................ 19 The Indian Child Welfare Act....................................................................................................... 19 The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act........................................................................... 19 The Adoption and Safe Families Act............................................................................................. .20 The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children. .................................................................21 4. THE JUVENILE COURT PROCESS ......................................................................................... 23 The Petition for Removal.............................................................................................................. 23 The Initial Hearing....................................................................................................................... 26 Pretrial Conferences ......................................................................................................................28 Discovery ......................................................................................................................................29 The Adjudication Hearing............................................................................................................. 29 The Disposition Hearing............................................................................................................... 30 Review Hearings ...........................................................................................................................32 Working with the Courts in Child Protection i The Permanency Hearing..............................................................................................................33 Termination of Parental Rights .....................................................................................................34 Adoptions .....................................................................................................................................37 Appeals .........................................................................................................................................39 5. THE CRIMINAL COURT PROCESS ........................................................................................ 41 Arrest, Bail, and Other Conditions of Release ...............................................................................41 Preliminary Hearings ....................................................................................................................42 Discovery......................................................................................................................................42 Plea Bargaining .............................................................................................................................42 Trial ..............................................................................................................................................42 6. DOMESTIC RELATIONS CASES AND OTHER COURT PROCEEDINGS .......................... 45 Custody and Divorce Hearings .....................................................................................................45 Domestic Violence Hearings.........................................................................................................48 Mental Health Hearings................................................................................................................49 Confidentiality of Court Records..................................................................................................51 Suits Against Child Protective Services Caseworkers and Agencies ................................................51 Class Actions Against Agencies......................................................................................................51 7. GOING TO COURT ................................................................................................................... 53 The Rules of Evidence...................................................................................................................53 Expert Testimony..........................................................................................................................55 Court Reports ..............................................................................................................................55 Testifying ......................................................................................................................................55 Ex Parte Communications.............................................................................................................57 Children’s Testimony.....................................................................................................................57 Judges’ Expectations of Child Protective Services Caseworkers ......................................................61 8. WORKING WITH THE COURTS ............................................................................................. 65 Understanding Judges ...................................................................................................................65 What Caseworkers Can Do To Effect Change in the Court ..........................................................66 9. COURT IMPROVEMENT AND BEST PRACTICES ................................................................ 71 Child and Family Services Reviews and the Courts .......................................................................71 Best Practices ................................................................................................................................74 Judicial Leadership........................................................................................................................76 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................78 ENDNOTES ......................................................................................................................................... 79 iiii Table of Contents APPENDICES: APPENDIX AGLOSSARY OF TERMS ................................................................................... 83 APPENDIX BRESOURCE LISTINGS OF SELECTED NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS CONCERNED WITH CHILD MALTREATMENT ................................................................... 91 APPENDIX CSTATE TELEPHONE NUMBERS FOR REPORTING CHILD ABUSE ........ 99 APPENDIX DGUIDELINES FOR CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES CASEWORKERS FOR PERMANENCY AND REVIEW HEARINGS .................................................................. 101 APPENDIX ELEGAL AND JUDICIAL ISSUES SUGGESTED BY THE CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES REVIEW PERFORMANCE INDICATORS ............................................ 111 Working with the Courts in Child Protection iii Preface ach day, the safety and well-being of children Th e Offi ce on Child Abuse and Neglect within the Eacross the Nation are threatened by child Children’s Bureau of the Administration for Children abuse and
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