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IntroductionThis new National Court Improvement Progress Report and Catalog, a resource for state court systems working to improve child abuse and neglect litigation, was developed by the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law’s National Child Welfare Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues. The Progress Report and Catalog, organized by state and topic, is comprised of materials submitted by state Court Improvement Projects (CIPs) across the country. The 2003 National Court Improvement Progress Report and Catalog contains all of the following:
Purpose: This online resource is intended to facilitate the exchange of information between Court Improvement Projects nationwide. By providing actual examples of work from state courts, the Progress Report and Catalog provides easy access to other states’ judicial forms, reports, studies, videotapes, program evaluations, project summaries, and other materials. Background: As part of the Family Preservation and Support Act of 1993, Congress set aside $10 million per year in grants to state courts, specifically to improve the courts’ handling of child abuse and neglect litigation. Congress extended the CIP in 1997 and 2002. The CIP is currently reauthorized and funded through September 30, 2006. In addition to the $10 million, the 2002 amendments provided additional discretionary funding for the federal Safe and Stable Families program and set aside 3.3% of such funds to the CIP. In fiscal year 2002, this amount included an additional sum of $2.31 million, which is added to the existing $10 million. Funds are directed to state supreme courts and each state court system is entitled to a portion of the total funds. Currently, 50 state court systems, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico are operating Court Improvement Projects. To assist state courts in their implementation of these grants, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has funded the National Child Welfare Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues. This Resource Center, operated by the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law, provides a wide range of assistance to state courts. Among other things, the Resource Center (a) provides free consultation and training to courts and state governments; (b) manages two e-mail listserv groups; (c) maintains a website with court improvement information; (d) prepares and distributes a variety of written materials related to court improvement; and (e) issues a detailed Court Improvement Progress Report. This Progress Report summarizes and describes work of the Court Improvement Projects throughout the United States. Available Materials: As in previous years, the National Court Improvement Catalog contains various materials developed by state Court Improvement Projects in the course of their work. In an effort to provide greater access and ease of use of the information contained in the Court Improvement Progress Reports, the state summaries, National Summary, and State Contact List have all been added. The CIP Report Series (1998 – 2003) has described the current progress of participating state Court Improvement Projects, including ongoing state reform efforts, evolving strategies addressing court improvement issues, and the progress states have made in improving their dependency court systems. The state summaries and National Summary detail current projects throughout the country in each jurisdiction receiving grant funds and in each of the major areas of court improvement. In many instances, the state summaries and National Summary highlight and explain the materials found in the Catalog. The State Contact List provides the contact information for state CIP directors. How to Use this Resource and Order Listed Items: back to top Under each state on the map, there is an option to review the state summary, the Catalog materials, or both. Each item is listed under a state heading with a general description. Each item is also listed by category. The Catalog indicates when an item is available online and includes the website address and link. The Resource Center has electronic copies of all documents marked "On Disc." Some of these documents are available by clicking on the "On Disc" link. If you are unable to view one of these documents please send an email message to courtimprovement@abanet.org to request a copy of the document be sent electronically. Be sure to include the document number for the material you are requesting. Prices for reproducing and shipping Catalog materials are listed with each item. Copies of documents are 10 cents ($0.10) per page. There is a shipping and handling charge of two dollars ($2.00) per order. There is a five dollar ($5.00) charge, including shipping, for materials sent on disc. Videos are available by contacting the appropriate state. State contact numbers are available in each video’s description. Some state courts prefer to distribute their materials directly. Where this applies, ordering information is included in the description of the item. All other documents are available by sending a request to courtimprovement@abanet.org. When placing an order, please total the copying costs, listed with each item, and add two dollars ($2.00) for shipping. Payments must be made by check, made payable to "The American Bar Association," and sent to the following address: Yvonne Brunot If you have any questions or difficulties obtaining items listed, call or e-mail Yvonne Brunot at (202) 662-1746, courtimprovement@abanet.org. Updates: We will provide online updates to the Catalog materials on a quarterly basis. We encourage states to submit new materials for inclusion in future updates. The state summaries and National Summary will be updated annually.
American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law |