August 29, 2024
Babies court programs are based on the knowledge that adverse childhood experiences can affect children under the age of 3 at a higher rate than any other age group. Positive experiences and emotional support are critical to the healthy development of babies and toddlers, which is why it is so important for state courts and service agencies to focus their attention on that age group. The Safe Babies Court Team approach is part of the Zero to Three program, which is based on 12 core components including sensitive ways to respond to maltreatment of infants and toddlers.
Collaboration is key to the success of infant-toddler courts. The approach includes the judge, the community coordinator, and the family team. With this method, the family’s needs should be identified as early as possible to ensure referrals are done effectively. According to the South Carolina Infant Mental Health Association, the “Safe Babies Court ignites collective action in local communities to strengthen families experiencing extreme hardships and meet the urgent needs of infants and toddlers who are under court jurisdiction and/or in foster care.” The objective is to reduce the trauma in children caused by multiple foster placements.
The Center of Excellence for Children’s Behavioral Health at the Georgia Health Policy Center sought applications from judges, agencies, and community organizations who want to work together using the safe babies approach for families that entered the legal system. They provide support and second chances to families rather than penalties and custody removals that can cause trauma. They try to cause less disruption of the bonding between parents and their infants and toddlers.
The North Carolina Judicial Branch recently launched the Safe Babies Court Team pilot program aimed at reducing the time a child spends in foster care before placement in a permanent home. The program was part of the recommendation of the Chief Justice’s Task Force on ACE-Informed Courts. ACE stands for adverse childhood experiences or adverse community environments. It will start as a pilot in five sites over three years and provide intensive support for babies and their families, including frequent court hearings and meetings where decisions about the family will be made.
A rehabilitative rather than punitive approach is also the focus of Rutherford County’s Safe Baby Court in Tennessee. The program has helped to reunite mothers and fathers with their children after receiving substance abuse rehabilitative services since June 2020. Children are placed with relatives and not in regular foster care. It helps care providers with things like rental payments. The parental plan includes substance abuse disorder treatment, parenting classes, counseling, and supervised visitations.
This NCSC’s Regional Judicial Opioid initiative report provides information on the relatively new specialty court model that combines knowledge on early childhood development, services for families at risk, and the approach of a problem-solving court making it available to the most vulnerable families.
Is your court considering an infant and toddler court? Share your experiences with us. For more information, contact knowledge@ncsc.org or call 800-616-6164. Follow the National Center for State Courts on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Vimeo. For more Trending Topics posts, visit ncsc.org/trendingtopics and subscribe to the LinkedIn newsletter.