The Quality Improvement Center (QIC) on Engaging Youth in Finding Permanency recently released a new publication regarding the ways children and youth can be engaged in child welfare proceedings. Below are tools that courts can use to authentically and directly engage with children to best determine what they want and what options will work best for them and their families. QIC highlights that it’s the role of everyone on a child’s court team to empower them to share their perspectives.
- Use court hearings as opportunities to build a relationship with children and youth:
- Create a child-and-youth-friendly court environment.
- Create opportunities to engage children and youth between court hearings.
- Partner with people who have lived expertise to create a court process and an environment that promotes success.
By Erin Weiss, Policy Intern
