Examples of Livingston County Child Protection Model Court projects that have
been developed and implemented include the following.
Service
Inventory: Services offered to families are profiled, with related
information including a detailed description, as well as contact information,
referral requirements, and financial information.
Parent
Information Guide: Given to all parents to help them understand the
court process and to keep track of their documents, appointments, and
information.
Parenting Time: When children have been
removed from their parents’ home in a child protection proceeding, parents and
children now have more comfortable and supportive options for where and when to
meet for parenting time.
Trained parent coaches work with parents to help
them understand how to keep children safe, and we use a tool called “Family
Connect” to help parents, children, and foster parents understand the important
matters to consider in parenting time. Family Connect provides
practical tools that can be used to help make parenting time the best it can be
for all involved.
National Training for Attorneys Representing
Parents: NCJFCJ brought expert trainers from the American Bar
Association to Livingston County to train our court-appointed attorneys on trial
skills in representing parents in child protection cases. Approximately 30
attorneys participated, and as a result, they are better prepared to represent
the interests of parents throughout the child protection process.
Training for professionals who serve families in Livingston
County: Over 70 people attended a training where each program and
agency involved in the child protection system presented information about what
it does and who it serves. As a result, people who serve families are better
equipped to know about other services that may be helpful, and how to get
families connected with those services.
Two training programs were
offered to professionals to enhance their knowledge about specific issues
affecting families. The trainings included:
- Family Connect which is used to support positive experiences of parenting time for parents with their children who have been removed from the parents’ care during a child protection case.
- Connect the Dots training series participants received all of the following instruction:
- Capable Kids an early childhood development parenting class.
- Stewards of Children a class about sexual abuse of children.
- Domestic Violence a class about what happens in families that are experiencing domestic violence and how people who come in contact with those families can help to support safety.
- Sexual Assault a class about what happens when a person is sexually assaulted and how people who come in contact with that person can be helpful.
Approximately 30 people received the Family Connect and/or Connect the Dots training.