newsColorado Judicial Branch
Mary J. Mullarkey, Chief Justice
Gerald Marroney, State Court Administrator
April 6, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Karen Salaz
303/837-3633
1-800-888-0001 Ext. 633
Colorado model court projects examining
handling of child abuse and neglect cases
Three Colorado courts have been designated as “Model Courts” by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. The nationwide project focuses on improving court practices in child abuse and neglect cases. Colorado is the first state to have three sites awarded the Model Courts designation.
“Children represent some of the most vulnerable populations coming into our courts,” says Alicia Davis, Court Improvement Coordinator for the Office of the State Court Administrator. “The courts and judges selected as Model Court sites demonstrate a commitment to improving practices in cases involving children and families by collaborating with their local communities.”
The three Colorado courts selected for the 2005 project are the Fourth Judicial District (El Paso and Teller counties) with Judge Theresa Cisneros serving as the lead judge; Second Judicial District (Denver City and County), with Judge Karen Ashby, presiding judge of the juvenile court leading the project; and Seventeenth Judicial District (Adams and Broomfield counties), led by District Court Judge Chris Melonakis.
A multidisciplinary team in each of the three locations will develop and facilitate the location-specific court programs. Representatives from related professions and agencies such as social service personnel, guardian ad litems, attorneys, Court Appointed Special Advocates, court personnel and treatment providers will collaborate to identify best practices in each location. The three teams will examine current practices, create innovative solutions and strategically plan individualized approaches to improving court practices unique to each court, child welfare system and community.
The 12-month project includes intensive training, identification and implementation of best practices for court improvement, and ongoing education after the initial project has concluded.
The program in the three districts began on April 1, 2005. The federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention funds a substantial portion of the Permanency Planning for Children Department’s Victim’s Act Model Court Project. It was originally instituted in 1992 to identify and implement systematic changes to move abused and neglected children through the court process in a more timely manner into safe and permanent homes. The nationally funded, locally driven project recognizes foster care is a last resort, temporary solution. The state’s match will be paid for from Court Improvement Program, a federal program developed to improve judicial response to dependency and neglect cases.
“The courts will be identifying and developing best practice options to prevent unnecessary out-of-home placements of children, reuniting children with their families when feasible, and facilitating timely adoption of children unable to return home,” says Davis. “The well-being of families and the best interests of the children are paramount in all cases.”
The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges is a non-profit corporation headquartered in Reno, Nev.
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