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This report, designed for the public, summarizes the findings in CCE's detailed report to Congress dated May 6, 2004 on the performance of the DC child welfare system. It contains findings and analysis on the city's compliance with the federal and DC Adoption and Safe Families Acts and the DC Family Court Act. It concludes with a list of recommendations for improvement as well as a list of issues requiring further study.

This is CCE's second public progress report on DC's child welfare system. This report is issued at the direction of Congress who in early 2003 provided CCE with funding and a mandate to "Continue independent oversight... [of the system and to provide]...an annual report to Congress on the implementation of the DC Family Court Act of 2001 and the [federal] Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (ASFA)."

CCE Testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives regarding the performance of the D.C. Superior Court, April 23, 2004

CCE Testimony to the DC Council Judiciary Committee on the Blue Ribbon Juvenile Justice and Youth Rehabilitation Act of 2004, Bill 15-673; and the Public Access to Juvenile Justice Amendment Act of 2004, Bill 15-666

March 2004 CCE Testimony to the DC Council Committee on the Judiciary regarding the Structured Sentencing System Pilot Program Amendment Act of 2004, Bill 15-711

CCE Testimony to the D.C. Council Committee on the Judiciary regarding the Omnibus Juvenile Justice, Victim's Rights and Parental Participation Act of 2003, Bill 15-0537; the Juvenile Justice Act of 2003, Bill 15-0574; the Juvenile Justice and Parental Accountability Amendment Act of 2003, Bill 15-0460; and the Juvenile Justice Taskforce Establishment Act of 2003, Bill 15-0573

This report examines the progress made by the DC criminal justice system to implement the 27 recommendations of the Council for Court Excellence’s 2001 study, entitled A Roadmap to a Better DC Criminal Justice System. Two Years Down the Road found that progress had been made to re-engineer misdemeanor case processing, but that felony cases were being processed much the same way as reported in 2001.

CCE Testimony to the DC Council Committee on the Judiciary regarding the Uniform Trust Act of 2003, Bill 15-0234

CCETestimony to the DC Council Committee on the Judiciary regarding the Corporation Counsel Subpoena Authority Act Of 2001, Bill 14-0321

This report has two purposes: a) to increase public accountability of the District of Columbia's child abuse and neglect system, and b) to increase the community's understanding of that system. This is the CCE's first public report on the progress made by the leaders of the DC child welfare system to bring the District of Columbia into compliance with the federal and local Adoption and Safe Families Acts ("ASFA"). Please call 202.785.5917 to order over the phone.

The court community observers project used trained community volunteers to observe individual DC Superior Court criminal court hearings and related court functions during the spring of 2002. Volunteers recorded their observations and the Council for Court Excellence published the major findings in this report to the courts and to the community. Please call 202.785.5917 to order over the phone.