The Juvenile Court Improvement Program (CIP) celebrated 20 years of implementing effective change and improved court processes at the annual CIP Conference in Washington, DC, on June 9, and the National Convening on Trafficking and Child Welfare at the White House.

The National Convening on Trafficking and Child Welfare was held on June 10-11, in Washington, D.C. Hosted by the White House and sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau, this event supported states in preparing for implementation of new mandates under the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act of 2014 (The Act). The mandates represent significant new requirements for state child welfare agencies, and effective implementation will require interagency and cross-systems partnerships to successfully provide services for the prevention and protection of children and youth who are at-risk of or are victims of sex trafficking.

The purpose of the convening was to assist states in their efforts to serve these children and youth through collaborations that address: prevention; effective identification and assessment; securing of appropriate placements; training of workforce and caregivers; and provision of individualized services and support. The event brought together representatives from each state that have a role in implementing the new mandates and providing supports to victims and those at risk. Attendees included representatives from Court Improvement Program (CIP) grants across the nation, including judges, state child welfare directors and representatives from law enforcement. This event served as a "kick-off" to federal support to stakeholders, who will continue the work of engaging partners to further develop programs, policies and best practices at a state and local level.

About CIP
The Federal Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (P.L. 103-66) established a new grant program for states to assess judicial proceedings in child abuse cases, identify obstacles keeping children in the court system, and to fund court improvements. The Supreme Court of North Carolina authorized the Administrative Office of the Courts to apply for and administer federally legislated Court Improvement Funds in 1995. The Court Improvement Program receives grant awards from the Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau. North Carolina has received federal funding each federal fiscal year from 1995 to present. Funds have been used for local court improvement projects, conducting assessments, coordinating training, developing and improving technology, and providing technical assistance. Since 1995, 23 of North Carolina's judicial districts received federal funds for staff to provide case management activities and/or training. These districts focused on implementing best practices in juvenile court including one judge-one family case assignment, child planning conferences, and shared decision-making. Court Improvement funds were also used to implement Family Drug Treatment Courts in four districts. A major use of CIP funds was for the creation and maintenance of an information system, JWise, to store data on cases of abuse, neglect, dependency and termination of parental rights in North Carolina.