The Center for Court Innovation has developed a range of programs intended to improve how the justice system works with children. Although varied, these programs share an emphasis on improved information to ensure children receive appropriate, timely services, links to community-based agencies to help enhance children's well-being, customized responses that provide children greater protection and support, improved accountability to enhance the system's responsiveness, and a focus (when appropriate) on addressing children's needs within the context of their families. The Center's children’s initiatives share a commitment to enhancing the justice system's responses to young people's needs, collaboration with service providers, and creating a stronger voice for the justice system's most vulnerable population.

A four-year old child draws his abusive father     and asks the therapist to add the word "Bad."

Amy Pumo is the therapist for the Child and Adolescent Witness Support Program located in the Bronx District Attorney’s Office. She spoke with Carolyn Turgeon in June 2007 about the project

Q: Can you explain a bit more about the kinds of therapy you use? How do they work?
When children have had an experience like this, one of their ways of working through it is by repeating the story and trying to make sense of it, and in some cases trying to create alternative outcomes, at least in the way that they experience it, to help them move from a place of feeling helpless and powerless to a place of feeling like they have some control over at least their experience of what happened. In play therapy you engage them in those stories and look for themes of resilience and encourage those themes of resilience, ways that the children in the stories can seek out help or what they can do to feel safe again. The children create images that have meaning to them and so the therapist helps them engage with what they’ve created and pull out the meaning of it and then use that as a way to foster healing.

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In September 2002, the New York City Family Court launched a year-long strategic planning process focused on improving permanency for abused and neglected children involved in the child welfare system. The final product of this process—which included dozens of stakeholder interviews, focus groups and a literature review of best practices in the field—is a “Blueprint for Change” that sketches a plan for improving results for children and families in New York City Family Court.  To learn more, read the Blueprint for Change Executive Summary.