Child-Centered Practices for the Courtroom and Community: A Guide to Working Effectively with Young Children and Their Families in the Child Welfare System

This guidebook has the practical, real-world answers professionals need as they navigate the complex child welfare system, work with the courts, and plan interventions and treatment so that they can provide the best possible services and supports to the most vulnerable young children and families. Developed by a psychologist, a judge, and an expert on early intervention and education, this accessible practitioner¿s guide introduces early childhood professionals to the coordinated, evidence-based practices used successfully in Miami¿s juvenile court and child welfare community. As they follow a gripping case study of one young mother and her children, readers will see in vivid detail why effective, integrated services are needed to improve child and family outcomes. Then, with practical tips and guidance from the perspective of the court, the clinician, and the early intervention expert, readers will discover how to plan and implement a coordinated system of care; choose and implement an evidence-based parenting program; improve children¿s early access to quality care and education programs; and more. With practical tools and evidence-based strategies, professionals will ensure coordinated, high-quality services that improve the child welfare system and have long-lasting positive effects on young children and families.

Lynne F. Katz, Ed.D., is a Research Assistant Professor in the University of Miami Department of Psychology with a Secondary Appointment in Pediatrics. Judge Cindy S. Lederman is a Circuit Court Judge in Miami-Dade, where she has presided over the Miami-Dade Juvenile Court for 10 years. Joy D. Osofsky, Ph.D., is Barbara Lemann Professor, Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans.