Do Specialty Courts Achieve Better Outcomes for Children in Foster Care Than General Courts?

Abstract

Objective: This study assessed the effects of unified family and drug treatment courts (DTCs) on the resolution of cases involving foster care children and the resulting effects on school performance. Method: The first analytic step was to assess the impacts of presence of unified and DTCs in North Carolina counties on time children spent in foster care and the type of placement at exit from foster care. In the second step, the same data on foster care placements were merged with school records for youth in Grades 3-8 in public schools. The effect of children's time in foster care and placement outcomes on school performance as measured by math and reading tests, grade retention, and attendance was assessed using child fixed-effects regression. Results: Children in counties with unified family courts experienced shorter foster care spells and higher rates of reunification with parents or primary caregivers. Shorter foster care spells translated into improved school performance measured by end-of-grade reading and math test scores. Adult DTCs were associated with lower probability of reunification with parents/primary caregivers. Conclusion: The shortened time in foster care implies an efficiency gain attributable to unified family courts, which translate into savings for the court system through the use of fewer resources. Children also benefit through shortened stays in temporary placements, which are related to some improved educational outcomes.

Criminal Problem-Solving and Civil Dependency Court Policies regarding Medications for Opioid use Disorder

“…In the criminal justice system, court program completion can result in clearing of the associated criminal charge and/or avoidance of incarceration 3 . In the civil court system, court program completion is predictive of reunification between parents and children who were removed due to parental drug use 4 , 32 . Therefore, our study suggests that some court participants may be required to stop MOUD to avoid incarceration/criminal charges or reunite with their children, both of which are problematic from ethical and public health standpoints.…”

“…3 In the civil court system, court program completion is predictive of reunification between parents and children who were removed due to parental drug use. 4,32 Therefore, our study suggests that some court participants may be required to stop MOUD to avoid incarceration/criminal charges or reunite with their children, both of which are problematic from ethical and public health standpoints. Early or medically arbitrary discontinuation of MOUD-based treatment is contrary to the standard of care for individuals with OUD 33 and could result in adverse outcomes for participants, including relapse and overdose.…”

Whose Opinion Matters about Medications for Opioid use Disorder? A Cross-Sectional Survey of Social Norms among Court Staff

“…Future research should explore these differences. Nevertheless, given that criminal problem-solving court staff and dependency court staff make decisions as teams, 8,[22][23][24] we recommend that educational interventions about MOUD target all roles. Based on the importance of MOUD opinions of treatment providers, according to our survey results, we also strongly recommend that education target all external treatment providers with whom courts collaborate.…”

Evaluation of Implementation of the Kentucky Court Rules of Procedure and Practice: An Approach to Assessing the Impact of Court Reform Efforts

“…Kentucky has a unified court system in that separate courts practicing in individual jurisdictions are centrally administered. Across the country some court systems handle all family law matters under a family court, whose main goal is to consolidate all issues involving a family into one place (Sloan et al., ). Family courts cover an array of issues that include child custody, divorce, equitable division of property, and juvenile delinquency charges (Domitrovich, ).…”

“…Family courts cover an array of issues that include child custody, divorce, equitable division of property, and juvenile delinquency charges (Domitrovich, ). A typical case heard in such courts involves children who are removed from the home and placed in foster care (Sloan et al., ).…”