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Major Program Outcomes, 2004 - 2009

Program Outcome Summary

• Published four policy reform reports and one community education guide.
• Published one reference manual.
• Testified six times before DC Council committees.
• Presented one public training program and three press conferences.
• Performed one fee-for-service project.
• Is currently undertaking one major initiative.

2004

Reports Published

• District of Columbia Child Welfare System: Compliance with the Adoption and Safe Families Acts and the District of Columbia Family Court Act. This report to Congress documented the results of CCE's major Congressionally-funded study of the city's compliance with each requirement of the Adoption and Safe Families Act and the DC Family Court Act. The study included court casefile reviews of 1,708 child abuse and neglect cases and 352 in-court observations of Family Court hearings in such cases.
• Board participants: Executive Committee approved text; this was a staff-done study.
• District of Columbia Child Welfare System: A Second Progress Report. A shorter, well-designed version of the Congressional report, this was CCE's 2nd public report (first was in 2002) on the results of the city's efforts to improve the performance of the child abuse and neglect/foster care system. Report showed that the city is now doing a far better job of reuniting families for those foster children who can safely return to their parents. CCE worked with the city's Child Welfare Leadership Team to expedite adoptions for the 900 DC foster children who cannot be reunited with their families. .
• Board participants: text approved by Children in the Courts Committee (Deborah Luxenberg, Barbara Kagan, and Joan Strand, and by Executive Committee, after first review by DC Child Welfare Leadership Team (membership listed in report). GEICO paid for printing, as a public service. .

Public Forum Presented

• Press conference held to release Second Progress Report.
• Board participants: Elliott Hall, Timothy May, Chief Judge Rufus King, Attorney General Robert Spagnoletti; Board attendees: Deborah Luxenberg, Dr. Ed Burger, Marc Sherman; other speakers: Judge Lee Satterfield, CFSA director Brenda Donald Walker.

Testimony Presented

• Juvenile justice legislation pending before the DC Council (two hearings).
• Board participants: Deborah Luxenberg and Joan Strand testified for CCE

Other projects

• Work continued on a major publication, the third edition of CCE's Practice Manual for Child Abuse and Neglect Cases in DC.
• Board participants: Joan Strand, Deborah Luxenberg

2005

Report Published

• The District of Columbia Family Court Appointed Counsel System: Report and Recommendations, a comprehensive policy report on the Superior Court's system for providing court-appointed attorneys to represent children and indigent adults in Family Court proceedings. The report built on several DC Bar studies of the system done over the preceding 30 years, and included findings and recommendations for improvement, including removal of judges from the voucher review process. Held two meetings with court leadership before and after publication. (Note that in 2009, the Court finally accepted another of the report's recommendations: conducting periodic re-application processes for attorneys wishing to be considered for appointment to represent parties.).
• Board oversight committee: Deborah Luxenberg, Joan Strand, Barbara Kagan, Robert Muse, and Arabella Teal. Rod Page sought to engage Chief Judge Rufus King and Judge Satterfield on the voucher review recommendation. Jim Lee arranged for donation of printing services.

Other projects

• Work continued on a major publication, the third edition of CCE's Practice Manual for Child Abuse and Neglect Cases in DC.
• Board participants: Joan Strand, Deborah Luxenberg

2006

Report Published

• Third Progress Report on DC Child Welfare System Reform published at the end of December, detailed the further progress and remaining challenges facing DC's foster care system.
• Board participants: text approved by Children in the Courts Committee (Deborah Luxenberg, Barbara Kagan, Joan Strand, and Arabella Teal, and by Executive Committee, after first review by DC Child Welfare Leadership Team (membership listed in report). Melvin White and his firm McDermott Will & Emery underwrote the design and printing of the report and hosted the forum.

Other Projects

• The committee continued efforts to engage the Superior Court in discussion about implementing recommendations made in last fall's CCE report on the Family Court appointed counsel system, but those efforts did not bear immediate fruit.
• Work continued on a major publication, the third edition of CCE's Practice Manual for Child Abuse and Neglect Cases in DC.
• Board participants: Joan Strand, Deborah Luxenberg

Testimony Presented

• Annual DC Council oversight hearing on CFSA - June Kress testified for CCE.

2007

Public Forum Presented

• Press conference held to release Third Progress Report.
• Board participants: Rod Page, Melvin White. Other speakers: Judge Anita Josey- Herring, CFSA Director Uma Ahluwalia, and Deputy DC Attorney General Cassie Motz. McDermott Will & Emery hosted and underwrote the press briefing.

Other Projects

• Began planning for public forum to be held in CCE's 25th Anniversary year, to explore practical applications of the laws which govern interstate child custody and child support matters.
• Work continued on the third edition of CCE's Practice Manual for Child Abuse and Neglect Cases in DC with final review of the manuscript.
• Board participants: Joan Strand, Deborah Luxenberg; Covington & Burling provided pro bono cite checking assistance, using staff attorneys.
• Work began on CCE's first project on juvenile justice, a Guide to the DC Juvenile Justice System.

2008

Public Forum Presented

• Presented a multidisciplinary training session on interstate issues that arise in child custody and child support matters governed by two uniform statutes. Attended by 60 persons from a wide variety of family law backgrounds.
• Board participants: Debby Luxenberg, Barbara Kagan, Joan Strand, and Arabella Teal organized the public forum. Barbara Kagan and Steptoe hosted the forum.

Report Published

• Published the third edition of CCE's Practice Manual for Child Abuse and Neglect Cases, a comprehensive reference work with 16 chapters and 13 appendices.
• Board participants: Joan Strand, Deborah Luxenberg

Fee-for-Service Project

• Published Final Evaluation of the Effect of Juvenile Speedy Trial Emergency Legislation, conducted under contract to the DC Council. The new "speedy trial" law - passed temporarily to allow for the evaluation study to take place - for the first time established a trial deadline for juveniles placed in out-of-home "shelter care" prior to trial; a statutory trial deadline already existed for youth who are placed in secure detention prior to trial.
• Board participants: minimal; this was a staff-done study/report. Executive Committee approved report's text.

Testimony Presented

• June Kress, Peter Willner, & Priscilla Skillman testified at a DC Council Judiciary Committee hearing regarding the Juvenile Speedy Trial Emergency Legislation.
• Board participants: Testimony approved by Executive Committee.

2009

Report Published

• Guide to the DC Juvenile Justice System. The guide explains to juveniles, parents, victims, and the community at large in plain English (and Spanish) how DC's juvenile justice system works.
• Board participants: Bob Spagnoletti, Chair, Cliff Keenan, Judge Richard Levie, Ray Sczudlo, Arabella Teal, and Andy Wise. Numerous non-board members of project committee and project advisory committee. Final text also approved by Executive Committee.

Public Forum Presented

• Press conference held to release Juvenile Justice Guide.
• Board participants: Marie Johns, Earl Silbert, Bob Spagnoletti, Judge Arthur Burnett

Testimony Presented

• Priscilla Skillman testified at DC Council performance oversight hearing on Child and Family Services Agency.
• Board participants: Executive Committee approved testimony.
• Priscilla Skillman testified at DC Council performance oversight hearing on Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services.
• Board participants: Executive Committee approved testimony.

Ongoing Projects

• Members of the Committee have met three times to plan an educational panel program they will present in the fall. The committee has decided their program will address the issue of how judges can get the information they need to make sound decisions in contested custody cases, especially when the parties are unrepresented.
• Board participants: Deborah Luxenberg, Barbara Kagan, and Arabella Teal.

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