Family Dependency Drug Court

Family Treatment Court, also known as Dependency Drug Court, exists for the purpose of achieving timely and appropriate permanency placement for children who come to the attention of the Court or Social Services by promoting parents’ recovery from alcohol or drug dependency when substance abuse is a contributing factor in child abuse and neglect.

The Goals of Family Drug Court are to:

protect child safety by finding the fastest way to help parents and guardians with substance use disorders regain custody of their children;

provide the necessary support system through collaborative efforts to achieve sustained sobriety for parents and guardians enrolled in the court program; and

ensure a permanent care-giving environment and promote children's well-being through family recovery. 

Family Dependency Drug Court

Research & Reports

Judicial Perspectives on Family Drug Treatment Courts

by Judge Leonard P. Edwards and Judge James A. Ray. Juvenile and Family Court Journal. Volume 56, Issue ...

Sanctions in Family Drug Treatment Courts

by Judge Leonard P. Edwards. Juvenile and Family Court Journal. Volume 61, Issue 1. Pages 55–62, Winter 2010. ...

New approach to child welfare challenges in Illinois 9/20/2022

In McLean County, a new Family Treatment Court could help families with multiple issues by bringing together a ...

The Engaging Moms Program (EMP)

A study by Dakof and colleagues (2010) showed that there was a statistically significant difference between mothers who ...

Baltimore City Family Recovery Program (FRP)

A study by Burrus, Mackin, and Aborn (2008) found that FRP cases resulted in significantly more reunifications and ...

Jackson County Community Family Court (CFC)

A program evaluation by Carey and colleagues (2010) found that the children of parents who participated in CFC ...

National Drug Court Institute Family Treatment Court Guide

NDCI provides a in depth and detailed planning guide of Family Treatment Court.