USC Subchapter III

in effect

34 U.S.C. § 20331 Findings and purpose

(a) FindingsThe Congress finds that—(1) a large number of juvenile and family courts are inundated with increasing numbers of cases due to increased reports of abuse and neglect, increasing drug-related maltreatment, and insufficient court resources; (2) the amendments made to the Social Security Act [42 U.S.C. 301 et seq.] by the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 make substantial demands on the courts handling abuse and neglect cases, but provide no assistance to the courts to meet those demands; (3) the Adoption 11 So in original. Probably should be “Adoption Assistance”. and Child Welfare Act of 1980 requires courts to—(A) determine whether the agency made reasonable efforts to prevent foster care placement; (B) approve voluntary nonjudicial placement; and (C) provide procedural safeguards for parents when their parent-child relationship is affected; (4) social welfare agencies press the courts to meet such requirements, yet scarce resources often dictate that courts comply pro forma without undertaking the meaningful judicial inquiry contemplated by Congress in the Adoption 1 and Child Welfare Act of 1980; (5) compliance with the Adoption 1 and Child Welfare Act of 1980 and overall improvements in the judicial response to abuse and neglect cases can best come about through action by top level court administrators and judges with administrative functions who understand the unique aspects of decisions required in child abuse and neglect cases; and (6) the Adoption 1 and Child Welfare Act of 1980 provides financial incentives to train welfare agency staff to meet the requirements, but provides no resources to train judges. (b) PurposeThe purpose of this subchapter is to provide expanded technical assistance and training to judicial personnel and attorneys, particularly personnel and practitioners in juvenile and family courts, to improve the judicial system’s handling of child abuse and neglect cases with specific emphasis on the role of the courts in addressing reasonable efforts that can safely avoid unnecessary and unnecessarily prolonged foster care placement.

34 U.S.C. § 20332 Grants for juvenile and family court personnel

In order to improve the judicial system’s handling of child abuse and neglect cases, the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention shall make grants for the purpose of providing— (1) technical assistance and training to judicial personnel and attorneys, particularly personnel and practitioners in juvenile and family courts; and (2) administrative reform in juvenile and family courts.

34 U.S.C. § 20333 Specialized technical assistance and training programs

(a) Grants to develop model programs(1) The Administrator shall make grants to national organizations to develop 1 or more model technical assistance and training programs to improve the judicial system’s handling of child abuse and neglect cases. (2) An organization to which a grant is made pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be one that has broad membership among juvenile and family court judges and has demonstrated experience in providing training and technical assistance for judges, attorneys, child welfare personnel, and lay child advocates. (b) Grants to juvenile and family courts(1) In order to improve the judicial system’s handling of child abuse and neglect cases, the Administrator shall make grants to State courts or judicial administrators for programs that provide or contract for, the implementation of—(A) training and technical assistance to judicial personnel and attorneys in juvenile and family courts; and (B) administrative reform in juvenile and family courts. (2) The criteria established for the making of grants pursuant to paragraph (1) shall give priority to programs that improve—(A) procedures for determining whether child service agencies have made reasonable efforts to prevent placement of children in foster care; (B) procedures for determining whether child service agencies have, after placement of children in foster care, made reasonable efforts to reunite the family; (C) procedures for coordinating information and services among health professionals, social workers, law enforcement professionals, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and juvenile and family court personnel, consistent with subchapter I; and (D) procedures for improving the judicial response to children who are vulnerable to human trafficking, to the extent an appropriate screening tool exists. (c) Grant criteriaThe Administrator shall make grants under subsections (a) and (b) consistent with sections 11172, 11183, and 11186 of this title.

34 U.S.C. § 20334 Authorization of appropriations

(a) AuthorizationThere is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subchapter $2,300,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027 11 So in original. Probably should be followed by a period. (b) Use of fundsOf the amounts appropriated in subsection (a), not less than 80 percent shall be used for grants under section 20333(b) of this title. (c) LimitationNo funds are authorized to be appropriated for a fiscal year to carry out this subchapter unless the aggregate amount appropriated to carry out title II of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5611 et seq.) 22 See References in Text note below. for such fiscal year is not less than the aggregate amount appropriated to carry out such title for the preceding fiscal year.