What’s New at FYJP

The 2025 Dependency Judicial Training Academy is scheduled for May 19th – 21st.  This multi-day, virtual training is open to

Dependency court judicial officers must demonstrate impartiality, fairness, and integrity, ensuring decisions are grounded in law and focused on the

National Treatment Court Month is held each May and is a national celebration inclusive of all treatment court types, including

FYJP is excited to add a new chapter to the Juvenile Non-Offender Benchbook on Title 11 Minor Guardianship. The content

Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) are an evidence-based treatment that supports recovery and reduces both relapse and overdose risk

Family & Youth Justice Programs (FYJP) is dedicated to transforming the child welfare court system to help families thrive and

Incarcerated parents in the child dependency system face major barriers to reunification, including limited access to court proceedings restricted communication,

By integrating hope-based practices, dependency courts can help children, families, and system professionals envision positive futures, identify realistic pathways to

The Disposition Hearing is critical stage in child dependency case that lays the foundation for reunification.  Part of the Dependency

Over the past year, the Harm of Removal Workgroup has been working to create guidance for courts on the likely

The Early Childhood Court (ECC) Community of Practice is an opportunity for ECC coordinators to strengthen their expertise, share innovative strategies,

The Clark County Safety Summit occurred on January 15, 2025, from 1:00 – 5:00pm. This virtual, cross-system training and action-planning

Being a dependency court judicial officer places you at the heart of some of the most challenging and impactful decisions

The Adoption Support Chapter of the Juvenile Non-Offender Benchbook has been updated. A big thank you to Lindsay Rajic from

We are excited to announce the release of a comprehensive new guide designed to support judicial officers rotating onto the

The Representation for Children & Youth Chapter of the Juvenile Non-Offender Benchbook has been updated. A big thank you to

The Child in Need of Services (CHINS) Chapter of the Juvenile Non-Offender Benchbook has been updated. A big thank you

This cross-system webinar introduced participants to the many harms that children experience as a result of removal by child welfare

High-potency synthetic opioids (HPSO), like fentanyl, pose serious risks in child welfare involved families. In 2024, the Washington State Department

Over the past year, the Harm of Removal Workgroup has been working to create guidance for courts on the likely

Several barriers to permanency exist that can delay the dependency process and leave children in temporary foster care for extended

Registration for the 2025 Judicial Community of Practice (JCoP) Series is now open. JCoP is a monthly, virtual peer-learning opportunity

The purpose of the fact-finding timeline is to help ensure timely resolution of cases. Check out this Dependency Practice Tip

This cross-system webinar presented by experts from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) introduced participants to the newly released

Over the past year, the Harm of Removal Workgroup has been working to create guidance for courts on the likely

Infants and young children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of stress instability that accompany forced removal by child welfare.

FYJP co-authored an article with OPD and OCLA on cross-system collaboration in Washington State’s dependency court system improvement efforts that

High-potency synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, have become an increasing concern in families involved with child welfare. Click the picture

In the July episode of the Washington Courts Report Podcast, Tonia McClanahan talks about the parental experience within the dependency

Part of Dependency 101 for Judicial Officers, this new self-paced module provides a comprehensive guide to understanding and conducting dependency

Over the past year, the Harm of Removal Workgroup has been working to create guidance for courts on the likely

The Disposition Hearing Chapter of the Juvenile Non-Offender Benchbook has been updated. A big thank you to Marci Comeau from

A new page has been added to the Dependency Dashboard (Dash!) to support ESHB 2591 in reporting on caregiver notification

The Shelter Care Chapter of the Juvenile Non-Offender Benchbook has been updated to include recent statutory changes made by Senate

Two bills passed by the Washington State Legislature in the 2024 Session impacting dependency law go into effect on June

During the week of June 24th-28th Hope Rising Washington is planning a series of events to support a Hope Centered

The Snohomish County Safety Summit occurred on April 19th from 8:00am – 12:00pm. This virtual, cross-system training and action-planning summit

FYJP hosted the 2024 Dependency Judicial Training Academy on May 13th, 14th & 15th. This judicial training focused on building

This infographic contains general information about Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) in WA and was adapted from content contained within

This online module provides an overview of the legal procedures and requirements at Shelter Care Hearings in Washington State.  Click

The Dependency Fact-Finding Hearing Chapter of the Juvenile Non-Offender Benchbook has been updated. A big thank you Marci Comeau from

The Parent Representation in Child Welfare Proceedings Chapter of the Juvenile Non-Offender Benchbook has been updated. A big thank you

On January 1st, the Washington State Office of Public Defense (OPD) Parents Representation Program launched the Voluntary Placement Agreement (VPA)

This infographic contains ten recommendations that judicial officers can use to help ensure adequate findings of fact in child dependency

Just Data January provides a structured opportunity for Family Treatment Court programs to reflect on ways to improve practice using

FYJP worked with Public Knowledge to create two instructional videos meant to reduce some of the stress that families feel

This infographic provides information on how dependency courts can better engage with Lived Experience Experts (LEEs) and meaningfully include them

FYJP is excited to release the inaugural issue of our newsletter! This quarterly newsletter is designed to highlight some of

FJCIP Courts work to enhance court systems that manage family and juvenile cases, with a focus on improving the dependency

Family & Youth Justice Programs is excited to continue the Judicial Community of Practice (JCoP) in 2024! JCoP is an

Welcome to our first In Person All Sites Meeting. Where our goal is to bring together collaborative dependency courts, from

This infographic provides information on the complex needs of women who are pregnant or post-partum and have a Substance Use

This infographic provides information on the initial licensing process for relative and suitable other caregivers created by the Keeping Families

The Shelter Care Think Tank is a group of cross-system partners committed to collaborating with local dependency courts to improve

This past May, Family & Youth Justice Programs (FYJP) held the 2023 Dependency Judicial Training Academy which was entirely focused

Data is an essential component of child dependency court systems. This infographic provides a brief overview of the importance of

This infographic provides a brief overview of the challenges and benefits to hearing engagement across different modalities (i.e., in-person; virtual)

Family & Youth Justice Programs will host the 2023 Dependency Judicial Academy on May 15th, 16th & 17th. This 3-day

FYJP will be partnering with the Department of Children, Youth & Families to host cross-system webinars aimed at supporting local

This one-page informational flyer provides a high-level overview of the most consequential statutory changes within HB 1227 that will result

Housing instability is a leading factor that contributes to families becoming involved with the child welfare system. In fact, 30%

The Administrative Office of the Courts needs your help to sustain the important work of the Statewide Family Treatment Court

Students in foster care face significant educational challenges and have worse outcomes than peers on every academic measure, including achievement,

The HB 1227 Court Readiness Toolkit contains a suite of tools and resources to help court systems prepare for HB

FYJP welcomes all new and returning dependency court judicial officers to a new year on the bench! This infographic provides

iDecide is a web-based application created to support dependency court systems in HB 1227 implementation. Users have access to interactive

JCoP is a monthly, virtual peer-learning opportunity for dependency court judicial officers. The topic-focused sessions are led one of our

In recent years, the WA Supreme Court has handed down a number of decisions that have added additional clarification and

This report provides an overview of the Safety Summit project and includes the much-anticipated, full follow-up hearing quality study conducted

This virtual training by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption will introduce its evidence-based, child-focused recruitment model while also reviewing

The co-occurrence of domestic violence and family involvement in the child dependency system can take many different forms. This infographic

NEW PAGE: Check here for the latest on state legislation and case law decisions impacting the dependency court system in

The eligibility standards, procedures, and available support for the child and family differ between types of minor guardianship (Title 11

The Enrollment Monitoring Tool allows tracking site-level enrollment by race/ethnicity relative to court-level regular dependency numbers and county-level infant and

On September 30th from 8:30am to 12:30pm the FYJP will host the second annual all-sites meeting for Family Treatment Court

Family & Youth Justice Programs is excited to partner with the Capacity Building Center for Courts (CBCC) to host the

This  mini-learning series centers around the effective application of the Safety Framework in child welfare. Whether you are a first-time learner or

On August 4th FYJP hosted the “The Power of Hope”.  This exciting webinar event was presented by renowned hope science

Safety Summits provide multidisciplinary training and action planning to dependency court systems with the goal of  making real practice change

ICWA is vitally important to Native children and families. When ICWA is applied properly it helps lead to better outcomes. ICW Courts are dedicated dockets of child welfare hearings involving Native children.

For many judicial officers, large workloads and complex cases can make giving each family enough time and attention feel impossible.

The role of the dependency court judge involves leadership responsibilities including on-the-bench judicial leadership via strong judicial oversight of cases

As part of the preparation for the WA Judicial Academy on Reasonable & Active Efforts, FYJP pulled together a group

Early Childhood Courts (ECC) address the root causes of dependency court system involvement through specialized dockets, multidisciplinary teams, and a

Family & Youth Justice Programs, in partnership with the Capacity Building Center for Courts, presented the Washington Active and Reasonable

On October 25, 2021, the Washington ICWA Court Summit will be held online. This is a joint effort of the National Council of Family & Juvenile Court Judges, Casey Family Programs and the Family & Youth Justice Programs. 

This presentation explores the connection between trauma and negative life outcomes through a foundational understanding of the neurophysiology of the human stress response and how trauma is “stored” in the body. It takes a deep dive into the role of the central nervous system in an individual’s ability to cope with stress and the numerous implications this has for their short-term and long-term wellness. A parent who successfully navigated the child welfare system brings the science and her lived experience together, providing practical tools for helping clients and professionals avoid “hulking out.”

As courtrooms are starting to open up more, and many courts are using a hybrid model allowing some participation remotely,

HB 1194 makes significant changes to the court’s role in ordering visitation with the goal of providing the maximum parent, child, and sibling contact possible, while keeping the child safe. A statute-by-statute overview of these changes is provided, along with resources and implementation information.

A training and Q& A session on the new Family Time visit requirements created by HB 1194 was held on July 21, 2021. The session was recorded and can be viewed on this website. Q&As from the session will be posted soon.

CITA is offering an interactive, virtual judicial training series, “Reimagining Justice in Child Welfare and Dependency Court.” The training will occur on: May 24th (Monday), June 1st (Tuesday) and June 9th (Wednesday).

Childhood health experts are deeply concerned that the COVID-19 pandemic has serious consequences for children and youth, delaying their cognitive, emotional and social development. Children in foster and relative care, who have experienced abuse or neglect and the trauma of removal, are likely to experience disproportionately more significant behavioral health impacts from the pandemic. Resources are available to understand the behavioral health impact and support the well-being of children and youth in care.

DCYF and court partners worked with DOH to develop new in-person Family Time guidance that directs parties in every case to work together to reduce the opportunity for viral transmission during visits by creating Temporary COVID Aware Family Time Plans. The guidance does not eliminate in-person Family Time, due to the vital importance of keeping families connected during the pandemic. If parties cannot agree on a temporary plan, the issue will be brought to court.

In a December 4, 2020, Letter to the Field – Ensuring the Continuation of Critical Court Hearings, the federal Children’s Bureau urges courts and child welfare agencies to continue working together to ensure that access to justice continues and that critical judicial oversight occur in child welfare proceedings during these difficult times.  

RECORDED WEBINAR – Child welfare attorneys are regularly exposed to and interacting with trauma. This webinar, from the ABA, covers how to identify and address trauma exposure responses, including practical steps legal organizations and attorneys can take to mitigate the impact of trauma, so that attorneys are able to provide high-quality legal representation and be the best advocates for their clients.

UPCOMING EVENT  The Washington State Building Family Partnerships planning group and the Casey Family Foundation are hosting statewide virtual town hall discussions on December 9, 2020. The event will include a discussion about the benefits that children experience when parents and caregivers work together, as well as ideas for how these adults can be supported to build relationships.

The Department of Corrections is now providing mandatory virtual participation in child-dependency court hearings for incarcerated parents to ensure access when in-person participation is unsafe due to the pandemic. Current policy and procedures are provided in a DOC memo.

WEBINAR  The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) hosted a webinar on Making Reasonable Efforts Findings in a Pandemic. Taught by NCJFCJ Past President Judge R. Michael Key, the webinar and related materials help juvenile and family court participants understand the importance of examining reasonable efforts during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

WEBINAR  Parents for Parents and the Court Improvement Training Academy hosted a webinar on engaging and empowering parents in the dependency court system. Recorded on October 30, 2020. 

This brief from Casey Family Programs summarizes key considerations — potential benefits and potential concerns — for courts utilizing virtual hearings. The pandemic has provided a rare opportunity to rapidly redesign the court process, and virtual hearings will likely continue, in some fashion, post-COVID-19.