1 February 2002
Missouri Resource Guide for Best Practices in Child Abuse and Neglect Cases
In September 1999, the Supreme Court established the Permanency Planning Project of the Family Court Committee to develop a statewide, comprehensive approach, under the leadership of the judiciary, for assuring that abused and neglected children placed by the court in out-of-home care achieve timely permanency. In response to the Project’s recommendations, then Chief Justice Wm. Ray Price directed the Family Court Committee to develop a Missouri specific “Best Practices” resource guide for use by trial courts in abuse and neglect cases.
To accomplish this task, the Family Court Committee formed a Best Practices Work Group, comprised of the following individuals: Commissioner Geoffrey E. Allen, Family Court Commissioner, 16th Judicial Circuit; the Honorable Carol Bader, Associate Circuit Judge, 23rd Judicial Circuit; the Honorable Susan Block, Circuit Judge, 21st Judicial Circuit; the Honorable Mary Dickerson, Circuit Judge, 26th Judicial Circuit, the Honorable Thomas Frawley, Circuit Judge, 22nd Judicial Circuit, Chair; the Honorable Patricia Joyce, Associate Circuit Judge, 19th Judicial Circuit; Shawn McCarver, Attorney at Law, 24th Judicial Circuit; Phillip J. McIntosh, Attorney at Law and Guardian ad Litem, 2nd Judicial Circuit; the Honorable Thomas Mountjoy, Circuit Judge, 31st Judicial Circuit; Commissioner John Payne, Family Court Commissioner, 16th Judicial Circuit; the Honorable James Welsh, Circuit Judge, 7th Judicial Circuit; and Norma Rahm, Juvenile and Adult Court Programs, Office of State Courts Administrator (OSCA).
The Resource Guide is not a law treatise and should not be cited as legal authority. The Best Practices Work Group diligently attempted to incorporate, in an organized and procedural fashion, the applicable Missouri statutes and Supreme Court Rules and the Adoption and Safe Families Act of l997 (P.L. 105-89). The Resource Guide does not purport to address every issue or every rule or statute with which juvenile or family court judges and commissioners must contend. Instead, the Resource
Guide is designed to complement, not replace, state and federal statutes and court rules, and the Best Practices Recommendations are offered to assist courts in their efforts to improve court practice in child abuse and neglect cases.
The Missouri Resource Guide for Best Practices in Child Abuse and Neglect Cases has been developed to provide judges with a comprehensive and “user friendly” reference tool for use during the court process. The Resource Guide contains the following Missouri specific bench cards:
- Order for Protective Custody
- Protective Custody Hearing
- Adjudication Hearing
- Dispositional Hearing
The Best Practices Work Group plans to develop bench cards for the following remaining hearings:
- Permanency Hearing
- Review Hearing
- Termination of Parental Rights Hearing
- Adoption hearing
Informational cards on the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), Interstate Compact on Child Placement (ICPC), and Multi-Ethnic Placement Act (MEPA) also will be developed.
The Resource Guide was provided to all juvenile and family court judges and commissioners in January 2002. All judges and commissioners are encouraged to comment on the Resource Guide and offer recommendations for enhancement and additional inclusions.
If you would like more information on the Resource Guide, please contact OSCA.
To accomplish this task, the Family Court Committee formed a Best Practices Work Group, comprised of the following individuals: Commissioner Geoffrey E. Allen, Family Court Commissioner, 16th Judicial Circuit; the Honorable Carol Bader, Associate Circuit Judge, 23rd Judicial Circuit; the Honorable Susan Block, Circuit Judge, 21st Judicial Circuit; the Honorable Mary Dickerson, Circuit Judge, 26th Judicial Circuit, the Honorable Thomas Frawley, Circuit Judge, 22nd Judicial Circuit, Chair; the Honorable Patricia Joyce, Associate Circuit Judge, 19th Judicial Circuit; Shawn McCarver, Attorney at Law, 24th Judicial Circuit; Phillip J. McIntosh, Attorney at Law and Guardian ad Litem, 2nd Judicial Circuit; the Honorable Thomas Mountjoy, Circuit Judge, 31st Judicial Circuit; Commissioner John Payne, Family Court Commissioner, 16th Judicial Circuit; the Honorable James Welsh, Circuit Judge, 7th Judicial Circuit; and Norma Rahm, Juvenile and Adult Court Programs, Office of State Courts Administrator (OSCA).
The Resource Guide is not a law treatise and should not be cited as legal authority. The Best Practices Work Group diligently attempted to incorporate, in an organized and procedural fashion, the applicable Missouri statutes and Supreme Court Rules and the Adoption and Safe Families Act of l997 (P.L. 105-89). The Resource Guide does not purport to address every issue or every rule or statute with which juvenile or family court judges and commissioners must contend. Instead, the Resource
Guide is designed to complement, not replace, state and federal statutes and court rules, and the Best Practices Recommendations are offered to assist courts in their efforts to improve court practice in child abuse and neglect cases.
The Missouri Resource Guide for Best Practices in Child Abuse and Neglect Cases has been developed to provide judges with a comprehensive and “user friendly” reference tool for use during the court process. The Resource Guide contains the following Missouri specific bench cards:
- Order for Protective Custody
- Protective Custody Hearing
- Adjudication Hearing
- Dispositional Hearing
The Best Practices Work Group plans to develop bench cards for the following remaining hearings:
- Permanency Hearing
- Review Hearing
- Termination of Parental Rights Hearing
- Adoption hearing
Informational cards on the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), Interstate Compact on Child Placement (ICPC), and Multi-Ethnic Placement Act (MEPA) also will be developed.
The Resource Guide was provided to all juvenile and family court judges and commissioners in January 2002. All judges and commissioners are encouraged to comment on the Resource Guide and offer recommendations for enhancement and additional inclusions.
If you would like more information on the Resource Guide, please contact OSCA.