what about baby courts?• high levels of stress during critical periods of brain development ......
TRANSCRIPT
What About Baby Courts? Presented to the AZ Problem Solving Courts Conference
May 16, 2012
Dr. Mary Warren, Prevent Child Abuse Arizona
Dr. Judy Krysik, ASU School of Social Work
Honorable Aimee Anderson
Honorable Colleen McNally
What We Know…….
Infants and toddlers are widely recognized as our most vulnerable population
Intervention is more effective and less costly when provided earlier rather than later in a child’s life
Early, secure and consistent relationships with adult caregivers contribute to healthy brain development
Later academic success is directly related to a young child’s early emotional and social development
*Stay in the system longer
* Higher rates of re-entry post-reunification
*Highest fatality rates as a result of abuse and neglect * Highest rates of entry to child welfare system
Children Under the Age of Five Years:
* Less likely to reunify
Arizona Entry Rate per 1,000 Children by
Age First Admissions
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
0
1
2
3 - 5
6 - 8
9 - 11
12 - 14
15 - 17
Children birth to five * All children 0-5
• Brain develops to 85% of adult size
• Develop and learn within relationships
* Children in foster care experience
• high levels of stress during critical periods of brain development
• higher rates of developmental delay and neurological impairment
Attachment • Genetically wired to
form attachment with older, wiser protector
• Builds thru relationships, interactions
• Birth to 7 months
Attachment Secure Insecure
Trauma • Genetically wired to fear
predators (scary things, hidden things, harm to us/others)
• Witnessing violence or trauma impacts the manner in which the brain develops
Trauma • Disrupts development
• Predisposes child to adult depression, anxiety disorder, addictions, chronic disease
• Future relationships impaired
Most Harmful Trauma • When your caregiver is being hurt
• When your caregiver hurts you
In either case, young child experiences as an overwhelming threat to survival
Best for Babies • National Initiative of Zero to Three:
Court Teams for Maltreated Infants and Toddlers
• Arizona: 12 of 15 counties
• Funding from AOC & First Things First
Goals • To increase shared knowledge of
unique needs of infants and toddlers in child welfare system
• To improve their outcomes through timely, evidence-informed, coordinated services and supports
Core Components
• Judicial leadership & oversight
• Recognition of need for change
• Information on child’s needs
• Capacity to focus on well-being
Core Components
• Coordinated services for – Parent
– Child
• On-going assessments
• Court as time keeper
Best Practices • First placement, last placement
• Focus on healing, thriving
• Concurrent planning
• Frequent child-centered visitation
• Successful reunification
• Twelve months to permanency
Team • Judges
• CPS
• Foster parents
• Attorneys
• CASAs
SAFE BABIES COURT TEAMS Produced by Zero To Three
44% of dependency petitions filed in Maricopa County involve at least one child under the age of three.
57% of dependency petitions involve at least one child under 5 years old.
Cradle to Crayons
Why?
2010 national statistics show children under age 2 comprised 61% of fatalities due to maltreatment.
41.7% of children in foster care in AZ are under 5 years old.
Cradle to Crayons
• Assigning specific judicial officers to manage baby cases
• Concurrent planning on every case • Ordering more frequent hearings
What Maricopa County Juvenile Court is doing:
• Identifying appropriate community stakeholders for involvement in family treatment
• Ordering more frequent visits
• Specific 0-3 training
Problems: • Caretaker history of
mistreatment • Unskilled young parent(s) • Languishing in System • Poor Bonding and
Attachment • Uncoordinated Service Delivery
Cradle to Crayons Maricopa County Child Welfare Center
Solutions: • Co-location of services • Collaboration of life
stabilizing resources • Increase opportunity for
parent and child to bond and attach
• Increase frequency of visits
• Improve quality of visits – visit coaching
Cradle to Crayons Maricopa County Child Welfare Center
Identify stakeholders Forge partnerships Facilitate strategic
planning meetings Program planning and
development Staffing
requirements Spatial needs
Cradle to Crayons Maricopa County Child Welfare Center
Cradle to Crayons Maricopa County Child Welfare Center
A Collaborative project with community partners to improve outcomes for high-risk infants, toddlers, and their families. A Dependency court with strong judicial leadership and the collaboration and coordination of appropriate and convenient services for both children and their families Goal: Provide infants and young children with stable, nurturing and forever families.
Maricopa County Dependency Drug Court
Dependency Drug Court
* Pima County model * Providing support and
accountability for parents who have substance abuse issues
Purpose is to provide support and accountability to substance abusing
parents in dependency cases
• Voluntary
• Direct referral to CPS mandated testing and treatment
• Frequent judicial supervision
• Progress reported regularly to the parties and judge in the dependency action
Sustained Sobriety increases outcomes of family reunification AND may help prevent substance exposure
in future pregnancies
Thank You! Cradle to Crayons
• Judge Anderson [email protected]
Dependency Drug Court
• Judge McNally [email protected]
Best for Babies
• Becky Ruffner [email protected]
• Mary Warren [email protected]