In addition to our case reviews, our other statutory requirement is to engage in systems advocacy regarding policies, procedures, laws, and substitute care services. The CRB has processes in place to review and provide input on any changes to the statute, case law, and agency policies and procedures.
In 2012, the CRB took over the responsibility to review systems issues as required by the federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA). The act requires states to establish at least three citizen review panels to evaluate the extent to which state and local child protection system agencies are effectively discharging their child protection responsibilities. The citizen review panels must prepare an annual report containing a summary of the activities of the panel and recommendations to improve the child protection services system at the state and local levels.
CRB staff and volunteer board members also engage in systems advocacy on the local level by participating in multi-disciplinary workgroups. These workgroups, often called “Model Court Teams,” work on improving local issues such as barriers to timely adoptions, reducing the number of children in care, improving educational outcomes for children in care, and other issues.