- California Dependency Online Guide (CalDOG)
- Center for Juvenile Justice Reform: Crossover Youth Practice Model
- Chief Probation Officers of California
- Child Welfare League of America
- County Welfare Directors Association of California
- The National Resource Center for Permanency and Framiily Connections: Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Resources
- Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
- Civics Education
- Collaborative Justice Courts
- Community Outreach
- Court Innovations—Kleps Awards
- Court Interpreters Program (CIP)
- Criminal Justice Programs
- Domestic Violence
- Equal Access
- Facilities
- For Families and Children
- Judicial Administration Fellowships
- JusticeCorps
- Tribal/State Programs
Juvenile Law
The Center for Families, Children & the Courts (CFCC) works to improve court proceedings and outcomes for children, youth, families, and victims involved in juvenile delinquency and dependency proceedings. In this section, you will find information on delinquency and dependency projects and those that intersect delinquency and dependency. General juvenile resources, crossover youth resources, and information that applies to both delinquency and dependency are listed below.
Access and Comprehension
Recent AOC studies, including Trust and Confidence in the California Courts, Phase I and II and the Juvenile Delinquency Court Assessment, found that too often parties find it difficult to attend their court hearings. Moreover, when they do attend, they frequently have trouble understanding the court process and what is being said in court. The Blue Ribbon Commission on Children in Foster Care has echoed this concern and has stated that best practices dictate that the courts should be sensitive to the needs of users when scheduling hearings, and that those hearings should be conducted in a way that maximizes meaningful participation by parties.
The AOC CFCC has undertaken a number of initiatives to assist courts in implementing access and comprehension improvement, including working directly with users and other stakeholders to identify necessary court reforms and developing educational materials for court users.
Because victims of juvenile crime often have unique needs, the following publications were developed to help victims understand the juvenile court process and how to collect restitution, or money they may be owed as a result of the crime.
Information for Victims: Your Rights and Role in the Juvenile Court Process
Restitution Basics for Victims of Offenses by Juveniles
Suggestions for other useful materials are welcome. Contact Audrey Fancy with questions or suggestions.
Assembly Bill 12 / 212: Fostering Connections to Success Act
Assembly Bill 12 (Beall; Stats. 2010, ch. 559), the California Fostering Connections to Success Act, as amended by Assembly Bill 212 (Beall; Stats. 2011, ch. 459) makes it possible to access federal funding for foster care services for dependents and wards beyond their 18th birthday, which will provide them with the time and support needed to gradually become fully independent adults.
Assembly Bill 129: Dual-Status Children
Assembly Bill 129, sponsored by the Judicial Council and passed by the Legislature in 2004, is intended to improve the handling of cases in which delinquency and dependency intersect and to help increase access to appropriate resources and services for children in a holistic and timely manner.
Crossover Youth Resources
The resources in this section include publications and fact sheets produced by staff of the AOC CFCC through various research projects, publications from partnering agencies, and links to other useful information relating to these projects.
Title IV-E: Foster Care Placement
Below are resources for the juvenile courts, child welfare departments, and probation departments regarding compliance with Title IV-E of the Social Security Act and other provisions of state and federal law related to the foster care placement of dependents and wards.
Delinquency Foster Care (Assembly Bills 575 and 1696)—Requirements for Probation Departments
Delinquency Proceedings: Legal Citations and Recommended Title IV-E Findings
Dependency Proceedings: Legal Citations and Recommended Title IV-E Findings
Summary of 2012 Federal Title IV-E Review
Out-of-State Group Home Placement for Dependents and Wards
Written Report Requirements for Delinquency Foster Care Cases