A Balanced Collaboration

Vermont's Protocol for Law Enforcement Response to Children

Jane Sadusky for BWJP

Partnership and collaboration in name only has characterized many attempts to draft protocols or working agreements and build a coordinated community response. Vermont had a different experience in building a protocol to guide law enforcement's response to children on domestic violence calls. This paper examines the process they used, including areas of agreement and uncertainty, and introduces the protocol to a wider audience of interveners. It provides a starting point for other communities to explore their own response to children at domestic violence incidents, as well as an approach that can be used to examine other aspects of intervention.

View Article » A_Balanced_Collaboration.pdf

A Balanced Collaboration

Vermont's Protocol for Law Enforcement Response to Children at the Scene of a Domestic Violence Incident

Jane Sadusky

Partnership and collaboration in name only has characterized many attempts to draft protocols or working agreements and build a coordinated community response. Vermont had a different experience in building a protocol to guide law enforcement's response to children on domestic violence calls. This paper examines the process they used, including areas of agreement and uncertainty, and introduces the protocol to a wider audience of interveners. It provides a starting point for other communities to explore their own response to children at domestic violence incidents, as well as an approach that can be used to examine other aspects of intervention.

View Article » Vermont_Model_Protocol.pdf

A Practitioner's Guide to the Indian Child Welfare Act

Custody Tools Series

National Center on Full Faith and Credit

This is a 2-page statute guide to the Indian Child Welfare Act 25 U.S.C. § 1901 et. seq.

View Article » icwa revised 10-08.pdf

A Practitioner's Guide to the Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act (PKPA)

Custody Tools Series

National Center on Full Faith and Credit

A 2-page statute guide highlighting the Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1738A

View Article » PKPA_Revised3-04.pdf

A Practitioner's Guide to the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA)

Custody Tools Series

National Center on Full Faith and Credit

This is a 2-page guide on the UCCJEA.

View Article » uccjea revised 10-08.pdf

Center for Court Innovation Child Support Protocol

Liberty Aldrich and Judge Judy Reichler, for the Center for Court Innovation

A guide for integrated domestic violence courts

View Article » http://www.courtinnovation.org/_uploads/documents/child_support.pdf

Domestic Violence Programs and Children's Records

Issues of Confidentiality and Release

Sandra Tibbetts Murphy and Jenna Yauch

Preserving confidentiality for battered women and their children is central to ensuring their safety and allowing them to regain and retain control over their lives. The vital services of a shelter or domestic violence program mean nothing if anyone can access their records, putting battered women and their children in danger of being located. This paper endeavors to provide guidance to domestic violence programs regarding children's records and to serve as a starting place for internal policy development on this issue.

View Article » Domestic_Violence_Programs_and_Children's_Records.pdf

Key Provisions of UCCJA, PKPA, UCCJEA, and ICWA and Improvements Made by the UCCJEA for Battered Women

National Center on Full Faith and Credit

Child custody flow chart

View Article » Child custody flow chart.pdf

State Custody Statutes Charts Updated 2008

BWJP

These charts provide a synopsis of each state's custody statutes.

View Article » BWJP_State_Custody_Statutes_2008_part1.pdf
View Article » BWJP_State_Custody_Statutes_2008_part2.pdf

The Dangers of Presumptive Joint Physical Custody

Gabrielle Davis, Kristine Lizdas, Sandra Tibbetts Murphy, Jenna Yauch

This article details the problems that arise for victims of domestic violence and their children from legal presumptions for joint physical custody, and strongly advocates against such legal presumptions.

View Article » Dangers_of_Presumptive_Joint_Physical_Custody.pdf

Winona County Child Custody Safety and Accountability Audit Report

Local Safety Audit Coordinators: Loretta Frederick, Sr. Legal and Policy Advisor, BWJP and Valerie Williams, Women's Resource Center of Winona, MN

The Winona County Child Custody Safety and Accountability Audit explored the question: How is the safety and well-being of victims of domestic violence and their children addressed and promoted in the process of resolving child custody matters in Winona County, MN? This Audit report, the first to address family court child custody cases, consists of key findings and recommendations.

View Article » Winona_Custody_Audit_Report.pdf