Citation

Mackie JF, Foti TR, Agu N, Langenderfer-Magruder L, Marshall J. Child Abuse Negl. 2020; 104: 104476.

Affiliation

University of South Florida, College of Public Health, 13201 Bruce B Downs Blvd MDC56, Tampa, FL, 33612, United States.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104476

PMID

32251877

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Child maltreatment, removal from the home and foster care placement are all associated with poor physical and developmental outcomes for children. Early Childhood Court (ECC) is a specialized, trauma-informed, team-based approach designed to meet the unique needs of young children and their families in the dependency court system.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to evaluate the ECC program in 20 Florida circuits. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Participants in the evaluation were 53 ECC professionals (e.g., judges, attorneys, mental health providers, caseworkers, etc.) and 9 parents and caregivers. Focus groups were conducted in person, and interviews were conducted either in person or on the phone.

METHODS: Interviews and focus groups were transcribed verbatim and analyzed with a hybrid deductive/inductive process using MAX QDA. Two coders (trained doctoral student researchers) established inter-coder reliability with a Kappa greater than 0.80 and used an iterative process to discuss, refine, and describe each theme throughout the analysis.

RESULTS: Participants described who is involved in ECC and most discussions focused on professional versus parent/caregiver team members. Participants also described how ECC is different from traditional dependency court and several themes, such as Child and Family Friendly, Judicial Leadership, and a Team-Based Approach, aligned with the national model. Emergent themes were Relationships and Success.

CONCLUSIONS: Future research could explore the selection of parents into ECC.

Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Child maltreatment; Criminal justice; Program evaluation