In Support of Increased Judicial Involvement in Inter-Jurisdictional Movement of Children Through the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC)
Resolution 19 In Support of Increased Judicial Involvement in Inter-Jurisdictional Movement of Children Through the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC)
WHEREAS, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have adopted ICPC as statutory law in their respective jurisdictions; and
WHEREAS, delays in the placement of children in foster care across state lines have occurred for many years for a variety of reasons, including court delays in the entry and transmittal of final orders, delays in obtaining required criminal background checks on prospective interstate placements, and non-uniform practices among child welfare staff and State ICPC Offices; and
WHEREAS, the Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators desire to assist the timely and safe movement of children in foster care between states to appropriate permanent placements, adoptions, and treatment facilities, and further desire to reduce delays in interstate placement of dependent children while reaffirming best practices for state trial courts; and
WHEREAS, the Conferences have received a Regional Judicial Memorandum of Understanding being adopted in the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area, which may serve as a model for areas that border one another and states with a high volume of children moving between them; and
WHEREAS, the Conferences acknowledge the need for courts to assist public child welfare agencies and Compact administrators to expedite interstate placements; and
WHEREAS, the Conferences encourage the establishment of a single point of contact within each State Court Administrator's Office to assist judges from other states in identifying trial judges who could facilitate the ICPC process, as proposed by the aforesaid Regional Memorandum of Understanding;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Conferences encourage the implementation of Regional Judicial Memoranda of Understanding, such as that adopted by Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, to improve collaboration between states on child welfare cases.
Adopted as proposed by the CCJ/COSCA Courts, Children and Families Committee at the 56th Annual Meeting on July 29, 2004.