- 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
Publications
How to Adopt a Child in California ADOPT-050 (13 MB)
Court Adoption and Permanency Resource Guide(2006)
This guide is a compilation of many state and national programs that have been developed and designed to promote permanency for foster care children. Many of the program descriptions and resources found in the guide address the specific challenges to permanency that local courts have identified.
The guide has been updated to include many state and national promising practices and model programs that courts and agencies have used successfully to promote permanency for children, as well as to address identified obstacles to permanency. Many of these programs are collaborative and involve local courts, public and private agencies, CASA, as well as other service providers. The guide has been reorganized to highlight specific themes and programs and to provide an easy reference for each local court system.
NOTE: The supplement is over 400 pages, so if you would prefer printing only a particular section, please use the Table of Contents below to find and print only the area in which you are interested. To receive a hardcopy please contact CFCC.
We hope you will use this guide to:
- Hold an Adoption Saturday in the month of November.
- Plan and schedule several permanency events throughout the year, such as providing a child with a commemorative item, for example a teddy bear, at the finalization of his or her adoption or setting a time in the morning that will allow anyone wanting to finalize an adoption to take priority on the court calendar.
- Coordinate a working group of practitioners to strategize about how to launch any of the innovative, permanency-based model programs in this guide that are not being used in your local county.
- Convene a stakeholders meeting to develop and bring about complete systemic change in the area of permanency.
- Serve as a resource as issues arise.
Review of Statewide Uniform Child Support Guideline 2010
Review of Statewide Uniform Child Support Guideline 2005
Review of Statewide Uniform Child Support Guideline 2001
Review of Statewide Uniform Child Support Guideline 1998: 1998: Chapters 1-10 | 1998: Appendices
Review of Statewide Uniform Child Support Guideline 1993
Click Here to continue to the child support main page.
What's Happening in Court? An Activity Book for Children Who Are Going to Court in California, available in English and Spanish. This book is for children coming to court — whether they are witnesses, visitors, or involved in a case. It introduces children to the court processes in which they are or could be involved, the people who work in the judicial system, and the vocabulary that surrounds judicial proceedings. It is meant to be used as a teaching tool that may foster conversations between children and adults about the court system, and a game book that gives children who are in court something to do while they wait.
What's Happening in Court? - Interactive | PDF
¿Qué Sucede en la Corte? - Interactivo | PDF
Orientation to Family Court Mediation and Child Custody Recommending Counseling 
Mediation and child custody recommending counseling is a process in which a neutral, specially trained professional will listen to the parents concerns and help them develop a parenting plan that meets the needs of their family in the event of a divorce or when two parents choose to live apart. This video describes the mediation and child custody recommending counseling court process, provides helpful information about parenting plans, and offers tips on how parents can reduce conflict and help their children adjust to the changes happening in their family.
Court for Kids Videos
These videos developed for children, by Court for Kids, a program of the Marin County Superior Court, explain the purpose of court, what to expect, and who does what in the courtroom.
| The Truth About Court The Truth About Court (Spanish) |
Who's Who in the Courtroom Who's Who in the Courtroom (Spanish) |
How Court Affects You and Me How Court Affects You and Me (Spanish) |
A Preliminary Look at California Parole Reentry Courts (06/2012; 10 pages)
Applying Collaborative Justice Court Principles and Practices Faculty Guide (228 pages)
For size reasons, publication comes in two separate PDF files.
For a companion DVD, please contact: Nancy Taylor, or Bonnie Pollard at, collaborativejustice@jud.ca.gov
Applying Collaborative Justice Court Principles and Practices Faculty Guide, pages 1-114
Applying Collaborative Justice Court Principles and Practices Faculty Guide, pages 115-228
Collaborative Justice Courts: Resource Workbook (908 pages)
For a companion DVD, please contact: Nancy Taylor, or Bonnie Pollard at
Table of Contents and Preface (pp. 1-5)
Part One (pp. 6-21)
Part Two:
General (pp. 22-100 and pp. 101-187)
Adult:
A. Drugs (pp. 188-300 and pp. 301-410 )
B. DUI (pp. 411-459)
C. Campus (pp. 460-461)
D. Mental Health (pp. 462-489 and pp. 490-611 )
E. Homeless (pp. 612-644)
F. Community (pp. 645-656)
G. Domestic Violence (pp. 657-702)
Juvenile:
H. Juvenile Drug (pp. 703-804)
I. Peer/Teen (pp. 805-862)
Family Dependency (pp. 863-908
Elder Abuse Pocket Reference for Judges
107 pages
Transferring Collaborative Justice Principles (12/2004)
A recent study examines the potential to apply specialized "problem-solving court" principles and practices more broadly throughout state court systems. Based on focus groups and interviews with 35 judges in California and New York, the study assesses which problem-solving court practices are transferable to general court calendars, the major barriers to transferability and how problem-solving methods may be more widely disseminated among judges and judicial leaders.
Court News Article
Full Report
California's Collaborative Justice Courts, Building a Problem-Solving Judiciary
Click here to continue to the California Collaborative Justice Courts main page for additional information.
Research Publications
California Drug Courts: A Methodology for Determining Costs and Avoided Costs (05/23/2006)
Research Summary: California Drug Court Cost Analysis Study
Phase I: Building the Methodology
The study found that
- Drug court participants had significantly lower rates of recidivism than the comparison group (29% vs. 41%). Graduates of the drug court program had even lower rates of recidivism (17%).
- The nine drug courts showed savings ranging from $3,200 to $20,000 per participant.
- The study showed over $9 million in savings for the state for a group of 900 participants.
California's Collaborative Justice Courts: Building a Problem-Solving Judiciary
This study describes the development of the various collaborative courts in California since their inception in the 1980's.
Center for Court Innovation: Collaborative Justice in Conventional Courts: Opportunities and Barriers
Center for Court Innovation: Collaborative Justice in Conventional Courts: Stakeholder Perspectives in CaliforniaClick here to continue to the California Collaborative Justice Courts main page for additional information.
Annual CASA Program Reports:
2010 CASA Program Report
2009 CASA Program Report
2008 CASA Program Report
CASA and the Courts: An Assesment:
CASA and the Courts: An Assessment
CASA Primer for Judicial Officers
Infants and Toddlers Demonstration Project Report:
Infants and Toddlers Final Report
See Juvenile Dependency below.
- The Greenbook
- Snapshot Study 2008: Summary Findings
- Stat Sheet: Domestic Violence in Court-Based Child Custody
- Research Update: Domestic Violence in Court-Based Child Custody Mediation Cases in California (November 2002)
- Domestic Violence Courts: A Descriptive Study (May 2000)
- Addressing Domestic Violence, Child Safety and Well-Being: Collaborative Strategies for California Families
Orientation to Family Court Mediation and Child Custody Recommending Counseling
Mediation and child custody recommending counseling is a process in which a neutral, specially trained professional will listen to the parents concerns and help them develop a parenting plan that meets the needs of their family in the event of a divorce or when two parents choose to live apart. This video describes the mediation and child custody recommending counseling court process, provides helpful information about parenting plans, and offers tips on how parents can reduce conflict and help their children adjust to the changes happening in their family.
See also "Snapshot Study"
Reports
Family Law Interpreter Pilot Program: A Report to the California Legislature (2001)
Research
Information for Court Users
Going to Court Without a Lawyer
Going to Court Without a Lawyer (Espanol)
Guardianship Pamphlet (Probate) GC-205
Guardianship Pamphlet JV-350
English Spanish Korean Chinese Vietnamese
Publications
AOC Literature Review: Mental Health Courts (April 2012)
This is an overview of the literature on mental health diversion programs and mental health courts.
Balanced and Restorative Justice: An Information Manual for California (2006)
This manual catalogs balanced and restorative justice practices and model programs being used in California and around the country. It provides contact information for practitioners and descriptions of practices being followed in local communities. The manual is a resource for the courts, and it encourages judges and community stakeholders to develop collaborative partnerships that can improve outcomes for youth, victims, and communities affected by crime.
California Probation Services Survey (2006)
This study quantifies the array of adult and juvenile probation services available across counties, tells how those services are funded, describes the functions provided by probation staff, and details the amount of probation staff time. The study makes several findings that build on the work of the Probation Services Task Force and that will inform how the task force recommendations are implemented.
Community Justice: What's in It for You? (2004)
This pamphlet provides a brief description of the benefits that community justice programs provide to the various criminal justice stakeholders and how to apply them in your community.
Defining Recidivism in Juvenile Justice (April 2012)
This is an overview of common definitions of recidivism and the challenges of not having one standardized definition.
Developing Effective Practices in Juvenile Delinquency Caseflow Management (2006)
Based
on a previous analysis of caseflow management and the processing of
cases in criminal and family courts, the Administrative Office of the
Courts, Center for Families, Children & the Courts completed a
survey of current caseflow management techniques in juvenile delinquency
courts. It identifies the major caseflow management issues facing
California juvenile delinquency judges, attorneys, probation officers,
court administrators, and court staff and provides examples of practices
in use in California courts.
Effective Representation of Children in Juvenile Delinquency Court (2004)
This
brochure provides juvenile court defense attorneys with both guidance
on fulfilling the requirements of rule 5.663 of the California Rules of
Court and suggestions for effective advocacy beyond what is mandated by
law.
Evidence-Based
Practice and the Juvenile Delinquency Court: Integrating Justice Practices
(December 2012)
This briefing provides an overview of the application of evidence-based
practice (EBP) tools and programs in delinquency court, including a discussion
of the how the roles of judicial officers, prosecutors, defense, and probation
intersect with the EBP in the courtroom.
Family-Based Treatment Models - Effective Practices for Treating Youth Who Have Antisocial and Delinquent Behaviors (April 2009)
A summary of four successful evidence-based family treatment models designed to serve delinquent and substance-abusing youth.
How Practices and Programs Become Evidence Based: A Review of Juvenile Justice Research (February 2012)
This
briefing describes what "evidence based" means and the process by which
a practice or program becomes a best practice or evidence based. The
briefing also details the principles of effective intervention, the
principles that must be adhered to in order for practices and programs
to be effective.
Human
Trafficking Cases in California’s Courts: Successful Practices in the Emerging
Field of Human Trafficking (December 2012)
This briefing discusses the definition and scope of human trafficking, risk
factors for becoming a trafficking victim, the dynamics of how perpetrators
maintain trafficking victims, and how trafficking cases present themselves in
courtrooms.
Information for Victims: Your Rights and Role in the Juvenile Court Process (2006)
This brochure
provides basic information to help victims understand the juvenile
court process and exercise their rights to information and assistance.
Juvenile Delinquency Court Assessment (2008)
The
Juvenile Delinquency Court Assessment was a comprehensive research
study of the California delinquency court system based on surveys and
focus groups conducted with delinquency court professionals and court
users.
Juvenile
Delinquency Court Performance Measurement as an Evidence-Based Practice (December
2012)
This briefing provides a description of how delinquency court performance
measures can inform system evaluation, including an overview of how performance
measures can be used to evaluate the impact of evidence-based practices on
court-related outcomes.
Juvenile Delinquency Flow Chart (2010)
This flow chart outlines how a delinquency case moves through the court system.
Probation Services Task Force: Final Report (June 2003)
This
report contains the findings and recommendations of the Probation
Services Task Force, an 18-member body formed in August 2000 to
undertake a comprehensive examination of probation in California. This
report details the scope of the task force's examination, summarizes
input from stakeholders around the state, makes recommendations focused
on enhancing probation in California, and lays out a research agenda for
future study.
Restitution Basics for Victims of Crimes by Juveniles (June 2012)
An
overview of restitution and step by step instruction on how to collect
money victims are owed as a result of a juvenile offense.
Screenings
and Assessments Used in the Juvenile Justice System - Evaluating Risks
and Needs of Youth in the Juvenile Justice System (February 2011)
An
overview of screening and assessment instruments, including a summary
of issues related to instrument validation, selection, and
administration.
Screenings and Assessments Used in the Juvenile Justice System - Juvenile Mental Health Screenings and Assessments (February 2011)
An
overview of screening and assessment instruments used to detect mental
health problems in juveniles entering the delinquency system.
Screenings and Assessments Used in the Juvenile Justice System - Juvenile Risk and Needs Screenings and Assessments (December 2011)
An overview of risk and needs instruments used in California’s juvenile justice system.
Screenings
and Assessments Used in the Juvenile Justice System: Tools for Assessing Sexual
Recidivism Risk
(December 2012)
The briefing provides an overview of the prevalence of juvenile sexual
offending, recidivism rates, and recent changes to state and federal
legislation that apply to juveniles who have committed sexual offenses.
Truancy and School Discipline: An Overview of the Literature and Statistics (November 2012)
A
resource for California courts working with their justice partners and
other stakeholders to develop collaborative solutions to truancy and
school discipline issues in their communities.
Victim Offender Reconciliation Programs Report (2000)
This report reviews six programs in California. It includes contact information for programs throughout California and resources such as publications, videos, organizations, and training programs.
Video
Juvenile Delinquency Court Orientation Video
Transcript (2010)
This 13-minute video helps youth, their parents, and victims of juvenile crime to understand delinquency court. The video walks the viewer through the common types of juvenile hearings and explains what to expect during the course of a typical delinquency court case. It is appropriate for delinquency court waiting rooms, juvenile halls, and attorney or probation offices. The video is in English; a Spanish version will be produced but is not yet available. In addition to being available online for the public here and at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center, the video can be requested on a DVD by California courts and their justice partners. To order a copy, contact Cindy Chen.
Information for Children and Families
Caregivers and the Courts (2000)
This is a primer on juvenile dependency proceedings for California foster parents and relative caregivers. Also available in Spanish.
Emancipation Pamphlet (1995)
This pamphlet provides basic information about emancipation proceedings.
Frequently Asked Questions About Being a Child's Educational Representative
The brochure answers question that a person might have about his/her responsibilities as an educational representative appointed by the juvenile court to act on the child's behalf in that capacity.
Special Education Pamphlet
Information about special educational services, mandated by certain federal and state laws meant to help eligible children. Also available in Spanish.
The Dependency Court: How It Works JV-055 (2001)
Juvenile Court Information for Parents (Dependency) JV-050 (1999)
Voices From Within: Experiences of California Court Employees With the Foster Care System (2007)
This booklet highlights the experiences, both good and bad, of people working in the courts who have been there and now lead successful lives, as well as those of foster parents and others who have a connection to the foster care system. The publication is being shared with the courts and juvenile court policymakers, as well as with youth who are currently in California's foster care system.
What Happens After Your Dependency Case is Dismissed?
This brochure provides information on custody, visitation, and child support.
English (8.5" x 14" Format) or 8.5" x 11" Format
Spanish (8.5' x 14" Format)
For Attorneys
The Dependency Quick Guide: A Dogbook for Attorneys Representing Children and Parents (Second Edition) (2011)
A practice guide, legal primer and process resource for dependency attorneys. Includes descriptions of each hearing type, fact sheets on key dependency concepts such as education law, ICWA and parentage, and summaries of seminal cases. Also included are checklists, black letter discussion, and tips to assist attorneys in their practice.
Every Child, Every Hearing
This booklet will assist the court and other interested persons with the shared responsibility of meeting the needs of every child and assisting their transition into adulthood. It offers key questions that must be asked and followed up on for every child to ensure their daily well-being and long-term development.
Juvenile Dependency: The Video Game
Designed to provide attorneys with a virtual idea of what it is like to function as an attorney who represents parents and children in juvenile dependency cases. This day-in-the-life experience takes the user through three levels: the Interview room, the Courtroom and the Office. At each level, the attorney is met with challenges typically faced by attorneys each day. Depending upon a player's answers and choices, the player can earn points, be promoted or burn out and quit. Playing the entire game will earn an attorney two (2) hours of MCLE credit. To receive a copy of the video game, email dependencyguide@jud.ca.gov or call (415) 865-4564.
Reports
California Juvenile Dependency Court Improvement Program Reassessment, Full Report(2005)
California Juvenile Dependency Court Improvement Program Reassessment, Summary (2005)
California's Children: Their California's Children: Their Story in Numbers(2003)
Dependency Counsel Caseload Standards: A Report to the California Legislature(2008)
Draft Model Local Rules of Court
Dual-Status Children: Protocols for Implementing Assembly Bill 129 – A Report to the California Legislature (2007)
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Fact Sheet (2011)
Implementation Guide to Juvenile Dependency Court Performance Measures (2009)
Statement on Data Sharing, California's Child Welfare Council (2009)
Sharing Information About Children in Foster Care: Health Care (2010)
Sharing Information About Children in Foster Care: Education (2010)
Sharing Information About Children in Foster Care: Mental Health Care (2010)
Sharing Information About Children in Foster Care: Substance Abuse Treatment (2010)
Stat Sheet: Court-Based Juvenile Dependency Mediation(2003)
Research Updates
Research Update: Background of Judicial Officers in Juvenile Dependency (2005)
Research Update: California Juvenile Dependency Data (2005)
Research Update: California Juvenile Dependency Data (2003)
Research Update: Court-Based Juvenile Dependency Mediation (2003)
Research Update: Juvenile Dependency Mediation in California: An Overview (February 2012)
Research Update: Native American Statistical Abstract: Population Characteristics July 2011
Native American Statistical Abstract: Violence and Victimization September 2011
Native American Communities Justice Project:
Beginning the Dialogue: Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Stalking, & Teen-Dating Violence
- Policy Paper, May 2010
- Research Report, May 2010
Snapshot Study 2008: Agreement Rates (2012)
Snapshot Study 2008: Family Court Services Profile (2012)
Snapshot Study 2008: Summary Findings
Demographic Trends of Clients in Court-Based Child Custody Mediation (2005)
Client Feedback in California Court-Based Child Custody Mediation (2004)
Stat Sheet: Domestic Violence in Court-Based Child Custody Mediation in California (2003)
SUSRS 2003 Client Baseline Study: Summary Findings (2004)
Research Update: Difficult Cases in Court-Based Child Custody Mediation in California (2003)
Stat Sheet: Difficult Cases in Court Based Child Custody Mediation in California (2003)
Research Update: Custody Mediation and Ethnic Diversity in California (2001)
Research Update: Children's Residence Five Years after Mediation. (2000)
Preparing Court-Based Child Custody Mediation Services for the Future (Report 12) (2000).
Statistical Profiles from Two Statewide Studies, Report 6 (1996)
Visitation with Children: A Follow-up of Court Mediation Clients,Report 5 (1994).
Mediated Agreements on Child Custody and Visitation, Report 4(1994).
Client Evaluations of Mediation Services: The Impact of Case Characteristics and Mediation Services Models, Report 3 (1994).
Client Evaluations of Mediation Services: Perspectives of Mothers and Fathers, Report 2. (1994).
Executive Summary
Main report not available.
Fact Sheet: Mediation Service Models and Client Satisfaction. (1993)
Overview: California Family Court Services Mediation 1991: Families, Cases, and Client Feedback (Report 1) (1992).
Supervised Visitation - An Annotated Bibliography (17 MB) (2000)
A Guide for the Non-Professional Provider of Supervised Visitation
Access to Visitation Grant Program Annual Reports to the California LegislaturePursuant to Family Code section 3204(d), the Judicial Council shall, on March 1, 2002, and the first day of March each subsequent even-numbered year, report to the Legislature on the programs funded and whether and to what extent those programs are achieving the goal of promoting and encouraging healthy parent and child relationships between non-custodial or joint custodial parents and their children while ensuring the health, safety, and welfare of children, and other goals described in this chapter.
Legislative Report 1: California's Access to Visitation Grant Program for Enhancing Responsibility and Opportunity for Nonresidential Parents-The First Five Years: Report to the Legislature (March 2002)
The first published report to the Legislature that provided an overview of the grant program and its accomplishments. Although no recommendations are made in the report, the following actions to improve parents access to and visitation with their children were highlighted as deserving the Legislature's consideration: (1) mandatory training and education for SV providers; (2) expansion of A/V to non-existing counties; (3) recognition of A/V grant-related services as an essential court-based service; and (4) addressing the inadequacy of funding.
Legislative Report 2: A Report to the California Legislature: California's Access to Visitation Grant Program for Enhancing Responsibility and Opportunity for Nonresidential Parents Fiscal Year 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 (February 28, 2003)
Provides information on overall program administration, review and selection processes, and reporting requirements. Although no specific recommendations are made in the report, the report highlights one major challenge—the need to identify adequate, stable funding resources for programs to meet the increasing demands of the courts and parents struggling with access to visitation issues.
Legislative Report 3: California's Access to Visitation Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 (March 2004)
Provides the state Legislature with details on the grant programs, the scope of these programs’ services, and the development and implementation of the new state Access to Visitation Grant Program Data Collection and Reporting System, which took effect October 1, 2003. Although no formal recommendations are made in the report, it identifies a major challenge that warrants the Legislature’s consideration—maintaining and expanding services despite the impediment of inadequate funding. It also identified three next steps for the grant program: (1) conduct a statewide needs assessment; (2) evaluate the data collection system that was created; and (3) identify effective models of practice.
Legislative Report 4: California's Access to Visitation Grant Program: Fiscal Years 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 (March 2005)
Provides an overview on the grant-related achievements supported and administered by the courts and their collaborative, community-based subcontractors. In addition, it highlights program service accomplishments and general provisions of service delivery.
Legislative Report 5: California's Access to Visitation Grant Program: Fiscal Years 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 (March 2006)
Provides general information on the programs funded for the fiscal year. To enhance court and community outreach while also reinforcing the goals of information sharing and maximal use of program resources to meet the needs of the courts and families receiving grant-funded services, the grant program proposes to spend fiscal years 2005–2006 and 2006–2007 focused on the following goals and activities: (1) providing technical assistance and offering training and education to courts statewide; (2) using the research findings from the programs’ data collection and reporting system to create a profile of the demographic population characteristics of families receiving A/V services; (3) developing a A/V Program Resources Binder; (4) developing an informational directory of statewide SV service providers; and (5) identifying model programs that can be replicated on both state and national levels.
Legislative Report 6: California's Access to Visitation Program: Fiscal Year 2005-2006 (July 2007)
Highlights the total number of clients served for fiscal year 2005-2006 and how the courts and their subcontractors are promoting and encouraging healthy parent and child relationships through the grant-related services. Although no specific recommendations are made in the report, programmatically, the greatest challenge and statewide need continues to be adequate funding to meet essential court-related services. The report highlights that to assist the courts, program administrators, program constituents, and the Legislature in evaluating future policy decisions, the first in a series of future statistical data reports will be reported regarding the AV Data Collection and Reporting System. In fiscal year 2008, a demographic profile of the characteristics of families receiving services will be provided.
Legislative Report 7: Ten Years of Access to Visitation Grant Program Services (Fiscal Years 1997-2007) (March 2008)
The grant program celebrated its 10-year anniversary in fiscal year 2006–2007. The report showcases programs funded, program successes and accomplishments, innovative promising practices, and program service delivery gaps and challenges. Although no formal recommendations are made in the report, it does identify various challenges and complexities regarding the administration and operation of the grant-related services that limit the ability of the grants to address the great demand for program services.
Legislative Report 8: California's Access to Visitation Grant Program (Fiscal Year 2009-2010) (March 2010)
Improving Coordination of Cases Involving Children and Families (2008)
Unified Courts for Families Program: Mentor Court Project, Final Evaluation Report (2007)
Unified Family Court Evaluation Literature Review (2002)
Survey of Proceedings Involving Children and Families: Report of Survey Results (2001)