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Court Improvement Program

The Court Improvement Program (CIP) provides support and resources to North Dakota's state courts, allowing them to evaluate and enhance court processes in response to the needs of children in the child welfare system. The CIP is funded by a federal grant provided by the Administration of Children and Families Children's Bureau. (See program instruction here)

The CIP grant enables state courts to assess the role, responsibilities, and effectiveness of courts in carrying out laws relating to child welfare proceedings. It also allows courts to improve the safety, well-being, and permanency planning for children in foster care. The grant supports court data collection and analysis, promotes data sharing between courts, child welfare agencies, and tribes, and is used to increase child welfare expertise within the legal community and facilitate cross-training opportunities among agencies, tribes, courts, and other key stakeholders.

Updated CIP program requirements for 2024 included focusing on quality hearings in child welfare cases, quality legal representation for parents and children, joint projects and collaboration with the state’s child welfare agency, as well as supporting participation of legal and judicial partners in all stages of North Dakota’s Children and Family Review. CIP must also use at least thirty percent of grant funds to collect data jointly with the child welfare system. The data is used to improve case tracking and achievement of permanency goals for children and families. 

  • Overall Goal/Mission of CIP: The North Dakota Court Improvement Program will continuously assess and improve the handling of court proceedings related to the Indian Child Welfare Act, high-quality legal representation for children and families, and dual status youth. The CIP will enhance collaboration with the title IV-B/IV-E agencies and tribes to make improvements and to provide for the safety, well-being and permanence of children in foster care and engagement of families in child welfare cases. 

CIP Taskforce

The Court Improvement Project Taskforce became a charter of the Juvenile Policy Board on March 22, 2019.  The purpose of the Court Improvement Project Taskforce is to provide a forum to consider issues, review data, develop plans and promote system enhancements related to deprived and delinquent/unruly youth in order to improve outcomes for North Dakota children and families. The taskforce oversees a federal grant provided by the Administration of Children and Families Children’s Bureau

CIP Self-Assessment

CIP Strategic Plan 

Dual Status Youth Initiative

The Court Improvement Program oversees the North Dakota Dual Status Youth Initiative (DSYI) to address issues related to dual status youth – those youth who have been involved in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems in North Dakota. To achieve the best possible oversight and coordination of dual status youth cases, CIP continues to support a workgroup of CHINS specialists and the juvenile court DSYI Liaisons.

Lay Guardian Ad Litem Program - The North Dakota Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) program aims to provide effective, independent advocacy in the children's best interest before the juvenile court, was launched through a federal grant and administered through the Court Administrator's office in Bismarck. In 2003, the GAL program was contracted through Youthworks and implemented state-wide, serving the eight judicial districts.

 In 2024, the CIP completed its facilitation of a workgroup to examine the practices of the Lay Guardian Ad Litem Program.  The Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) workgroup met monthly either via Zoom or in person, administered surveys of stakeholders, reviewed and analyzed data from the GAL case management system and other GAL reports, and analyzed the program structure and model of GAL service delivery in Children in Need of Protection, termination of parental rights and guardianship cases. Findings and recommendations of the GAL workgroup were provided to court and child welfare stakeholders during its assessment. The workgroup's recommendations continue to be reviewed and utilized to make practice improvements within the program.

North Dakota Court System - RULE 17. JUVENILE COURT LAY GUARDIAN AD LITEM

GAL Report and Recommendations

Youthworks - Youthworks of North Dakota – Homeless & Runaway Youth Services

Quick Links to Resources:

NDCC

ND Guide for Juvenile Court and Child Welfare Proceedings (available soon)

Juvenile Court Time Standards Pol409-Juvenile-Court-Time-Standards.pdf

Roadmap – child-welfare-roadmap.pdf

Bench Cards

The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) The North Dakota Court Improvement Program continuously assesses the handling of court proceedings related to the Indian Child Welfare Act youth and provides training to stakeholders so that court partners may improve the quality of hearings in ICWA court cases, including an emphasis and enhanced focus on the quality of active efforts determinations such as active efforts to prevent removal.

Trainings:                   

Video passcode