Is Reform Finally Coming to New York City Family Court?

While delay and dysfunction plague Family Court child protective cases, a combination of factors has opened a window for reform. 

They include:

• A 20% decline in the number of child protective cases coming to the Court;

• The recent long-sought expansion of the number of New York City Family Court judges;

• The rollout of a new Family Court strategic plan designed to streamline child protective fact-findings; 
   
• A City commitment, spurred in part by a Federal court lawsuit, to faster resolutions of cases;
   
• A new pilot program in the Bronx also focuses on crafting faster, and better, outcomes in cases involving infants and toddlers in child protective cases.

Nevertheless, other reforms, including improving often poorly designed and executed service plans for families, are needed to lower the continued crushing human costs in child protective cases.

CONTENTS

• Is There Hope for 'The Saddest Place in New York?'

• Can a New 'Strong Starts' Initiative Make a Difference for Babies in the Bronx? 

• How Child Protective Hearings Work 

• By the Numbers: A Statistical Portrait of the Court's Child Protective Cases 

This report was made possible due to the generous support of the Child Welfare Fund and the Ira W. DeCamp Foundation.

Editor/Author: Abigail Kramer
CNYCA Executive Director: Kristin Morse
Senior Editor: Kendra Hurley
Editorial Consultant: Bruce Cory
Data and Graphics: Nicole Mader
Layout and Design: Alexander Bryden