What Information Is Available to Judges When Making Findings of Reasonable Efforts?

The decisions that judges make in child welfare cases are shaped by the information they can access.

This publication examines the sources of information available to judges as they make findings about child welfare agencies’ reasonable efforts to (1) prevent removal and (2) achieve permanency. Results stem from a sample of 300+ closed child welfare cases from 5 sites in 3 states.

Results show that judges had opportunities to speak directly with parents who attended hearings, most frequently mothers. When making findings about reasonable efforts to prevent removal, judges primarily had access to caseworker reports and petitions. For findings about reasonable efforts to achieve permanency, they primarily had access to caseworker reports and case plans covering a range of topics.