JBA to Study Judicial Decision-Making and Hearing Quality in Child Welfare

Juvenile and family court judges decide when children enter and exit out-of-home care and work to ensure their safety, permanent placement, and well-being. However, questions remain about how to support effective judicial decision-making and quality hearings.

The Understanding Judicial Decision-Making and Hearing Quality in Child Welfare project will deepen our understanding of judicial decision-making and hearings during the life of a child welfare case, including factors associated with quality and influences on case planning and family outcomes.

The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation and the Children’s Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, awarded the contract to JBA, the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law, and coprincipal investigators Dr. Sophia Gatowski and Dr. Alicia Summers.