Child fatality review teams (CFRTs) have existed since the 1970s; yet, a comprehensive understanding of their procedures, practices, and outcomes is lacking. This article addresses that gap in this study of CFRT state statutes. Findings indicate CFRT laws address nine areas of practice, from team composition, to purpose, to outcomes. Results also…

The Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) of 1997 includes provisions to deny reunification services under specified conditions and gives states latitude to develop any number of additional "aggravated circumstances" in which parents need not be offered services. California legislators have developed a relatively large number of…

Reviews the specific provisions of state and federal statutes relating to parental visiting, contrasts provisions with those in several model acts, discusses the purpose of visiting as reflected in the statutes, and concludes with recommendations for statutory reform practices offering a compromise between terminating parents' visiting rights and…

Describes the arguments of those supporting removal of the juvenile status offender from court jurisdiction, as well as the case presented by defenders of the system for retaining court jurisdiction over status offenders. (CM)

State and federal budget cuts make it increasingly important for child welfare organizations to influence policy development. Accurate knowledge of legislators' beliefs about child welfare issues allows agencies and advocacy groups to develop positive means of promoting positive legislation. (SAK)

Discusses the liberalization of rules of evidence in child sexual abuse cases in order to protect the child victims and benefit families. Some states have enacted legislation simplifying introduction of the child's out-of-court statements, although constitutionality has yet to be tested. (Author/NH)

Since 1982, the Indian Family Exception Doctrine has been circumventing the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978. Although not clearly defined, the doctrine has been pivotal in several American Indian child welfare cases in the United States. Over time, the doctrine continues to evolve and self-define. Several phrases have become part of the…

Enactment of Alaska's new Children's Code, a breakthrough in welfare legislation for children, was achieved after years of struggle involving professional and public forces. (Author/SE)

Amendments to many child abuse laws mandate the reporting by staff members of suspected abuse or neglect in out-of-home settings. This article discusses legal protections and potential liabilities for filing or failing to file such complaints. (Author/NH)

Reviews state statutes that were used as a defense in cases in which seriously ill children were treated exclusively by spiritual healing practices. Such cases involve questions concerning the constitution, and the rights of parents, children, and the state. There is a trend toward legislative restrictions of the use of spiritual healing as a…

Reviews legislation related to defining emotional neglect and abuse, classifies those cases frequently reported to child welfare agencies, and suggests case management approaches to this type of abuse and neglect. (Author/RH)

Recommendations concerning California's efforts to provide for the health needs of its children were developed at the California Conference on Health Care for Children in Foster Care. The conference was organized to discuss California's implementation of the Child Welfare League of America's Standards for Health Care Services for Children in…

Explains the state legislative process and suggests ways in which children's advocates can work for passage of progressive child welfare laws at the state level. (BR)

Offers information on the 1977 law passed by the Minnesota legislature which supported adoptive parents' right to open the sealed birth certificates of their adopted children. (CM)

Describes the design and implementation of a mediation program for the resolution of child protection disputes in Nova Scotia. Focuses on the legal mandate for mediation, training programs for mediators, orientation programs for child protective workers, and the actual mediation process. (MDM)