Preventing unnecessary removal with a focus on infants and toddlers
The Committee on Justice for Children has been exploring the role of the judiciary in preventing unnecessary removal of children from their homes into foster care. The committee recognizes from our own Georgia data that removal to foster care is more likely to happen in some counties over others. Through collaborative work and problem-solving courts, the Committee hopes to do more to keep children safely in their homes.
Major Goals for Preventing Unnecessary Removal
1. Learn about all prevention services offered in this state
Strategies
The executive branch has instituted a number of effective prevention services, including home nurse visitation services and Project Safe Care.
But these services are not available in every county. The committee will discuss ways to ensure access to services for all Georgia citizens.
2. Making Reasonable Efforts findings meaningful
Strategies
Evidentiary findings that reasonable efforts were made to prevent children from coming into foster is a powerful judicial tool to ensure that children do not come into foster care unnecessarily. The Committee will explore ways to ensure these findings are more than a perfunctory obligation.
3. Intensive judicial oversight when infants and toddlers are involved
Strategies
Infants and toddlers are most at risk for serious harm or death with abuse/neglect, and the brain development during this time is crucial. The judges and attorneys in the child welfare system need to provide special monitoring of the youngest children. The Committee will focus training resources on this subject.
