What is court improvement?

All 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico participate in the federal Court Improvement Program administered by the Children's Bureau of the US Department of Health and Human Services. The grant program was established in 1994 as a response to the dramatic increase in child abuse and neglect cases and the expanded role of courts in achieving stable, permanent homes for children in foster care. The Safe and Stable Families Amendments of 2001 extended the court improvement program through federal fiscal year 2006. Under the grants, which are awarded to the highest court of each participating state, recipients complete a detailed self-assessment, develop recommendations to improve the court system and implement the recommended reforms.

What subject areas did the state projects research in their self-assessments?

Among other issues, states assessed the timeliness and quality of hearings, use of Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) programs, training and education of judges and other court participants, judicial management of dockets, attorney and judicial caseloads, quality of legal representation, timeliness of appeals, treatment of parties and witnesses, the Indian Child Welfare Act, adequacy of court facilities, and use of computer technology and management information systems.

What are some of the recommendations states have issued?

State-specific recommendations range from a review of legal representation of children and parents to implementation of mediation programs to development of management information systems. Some states have passed legislation allowing for more effective contracting for legal representation, funding for visiting judges to clear backlogs, and increasing appropriations for and expanding CASA programs. Other recommendations include better and more frequent training for all participants in the court process, expedited termination of parental rights proceedings and changes in court rules. States continue to implement these recommendations.

How can I obtain copies of my or another state's assessment or progress reports?

Contact your state Administrative Office of the Courts or click here to get the state contact name and number.

How can I keep up-to-date on court improvement efforts?

The ABA publishes a free bimonthly newsletter, Child CourtWorks, designed to keep individuals interested in court reform informed of new developments and innovations across state court improvement projects. You can also order the latest CIP Progress Report, which provides a national overview of CIP activities and details each state's efforts over the past year.

The ABA also runs a special discussion group on the Internet exclusively focusing on court improvement issues and court handling of child abuse and neglect litigation. Click here to join