Children in the Halls of Justi(
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If you have issues viewing or accessing this file, please contact us at NCJRS.gov. CHILDREN IN THE HALLS OF JUSTI( A REPORT ON CHILD CARE IN THE COURTS r~ !.o CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF SOCIAL POLICY JUNE 199S This document was prepared by the Center for the Study of Social Policy, supported by grant number 94-DD-CX-0030, awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U. S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarilyrepresent the officialposition or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime. NATIONAL COURTCARE P EMONSTRATION PRO| ECT ADVISORY COMMITTEE Chairperson: Beverly Muench Hon. Julian T. Houston Deputy Director Associate Justice Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Massachusetts Superior Court Department Services BOSTON, MA LOS ANGELES, CA Vice-chair: Alice Reitz Hon. Armis E. Hawkins Project Director Chief Justice Massachusetts Trial Court Child Mississippi Supreme Court Care Project JACKSON, MS BOSTON, MA Hon. Sophia H. Hall Pat Reynolds Presiding Judge Assistant General Manager Juvenile Division San Francisco Department of Social Services Circuit Court of Cook County SAN FRANCISCO, CA CHICAGO, IL Edward Schor, M.D. Patricia Hanrahan Chairperson Director Committee on Early Childhood, Adoption, and Commission on Poverty and Homelessness Dependent Care American Bar Association American Academy of Pediatrics WASHINGTON, DC BOSTON, MA Susan Keilitz Howard P. Schwartz, PhD Senior Attorney Judicial Administrator National Center for State Courts Kansas Judicial Center WILLIAMSBURG,VA TOPEKA, KS Joan Lombardi Project Director: Senior Advisor Lucy Hudson Office of the Assistant Secretary Senior Associate Administration for Children and Families Center for the Study of Social Policy U.S. Department of Health and Human Services WASHINGTON, DC WASHINGTON, DC Photo Credits: Richard Howard Pamela Willis Marshall Director FERC Child Development Center WASHINGTON, DC 157 2_ AC KNOWL ED G EMENTS In describing and analyzing existing court-based child care programs throughout the country, the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) relied on the expertise and knowledge of people in the many disciplines that contribute to the administration of justice. Court personnel and staff in the court-based child care centers described in this volume patiently answered a seemingly endless stream of questions about their programs and provided us with written materials, doing the footwork necessary to answer our questions when they did not know an answer themselves. We are deeply indebted to the staffat the Edmund D. Edelman Children's Court in Los Angeles, the Juvenile Division of San Francisco Superior Court, the Civil and Housing Courts in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and the New York Permanent Judicial Commission on Justice for Children. They very kindly hosted visits by CSSP staff, providing information, materials, and logistical guidance that resulted in very informative experiences. We would also like to recognize the project's Advisory Committee for their thoughtful participation and acknowledge with gratitude the leadership of Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Julian T. Houston, the Committee's Chairperson, and Mississippi Chief Justice Armis E. Hawkins, the Vice-chair. This report was authored by Lucy Hudson, Senior Associate, and Julie Farber, Associate, at the Center for the Study of Social Policy. Patricia Hrusa Williams, a consultant to the Center, also contributed to this report. Without the interest of the Justice Department this project would not exist. Attorney General Reno's commitment to children was matched by the enthusiasm of everyone in the Office of Justice Programs. CSSP would like to thank Laurie Robinson, Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs; Nancy Gist, Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance; Charles M. Hollis, Adjudications Branch Chief; our project officer, Marilyn Nejelski; and Gale Farquhar and Pam Swain, framers of the BJA project outline. I i TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................................................................................i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................................................iii I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................................................... 1 II. IMPROVING THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE: Two surveys of court personnel .................................................................................................................................................. 3 III. CHARACTERISTICS OF COURT-BASED CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS ....................................................................................... 7 IV. THE STATE OF THE ART: Descriptions of Children's Programs in the Courts ....................................................................... 17 ARIZONA ................................................................................................................................................................................... 17 CALIFORNIA ............................................................................................................................................................................ 18 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ...................................................................................................................................................... 30 HAWAII ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 32 ILLINOIS ................................................................................................................................................................................... 32 KANSAS ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 36 MARYLAND ............................................................................................................................................................................... 36 MASSACHUSETTS .................................................................................................................................................................. 37 MICHIGAN ................................................................................................................................................................................ 42 MINNESOTA ............................................................................................................................................................................. 43 NEVADA ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 43 NEW JERSEY ............................................................................................................................................................................ 44 NEW YORK ................................................................................................................................................................................ 44 OHIO .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 52 PENNSYLVANIA ....................................................................................................................................................................... 52 RHODE ISLAND ....................................................................................................................................................................... 55 VERMONT ................................................................................................................................................................................. 55 WISCONSIN .............................................................................................................................................................................. 56 V. A CLOSER LOOK AT CHILD CARE IN THE COURTS: Program models in New York City and Los Angeles ...................................................................................................................... 57 VI. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE DESIGN OF COURT-BASED CHILD CARE PROGRAMS ........................................................... 76 ENDNOTES ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 81 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Public confidence in the court system and our ability to administer justice swiftly, fairly and firmly continues to erode. The general public feels alienated from the courts,