2016 News and Events
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December 2016- CFCC receives grant funds of $85,000 to support the Truancy Court Program
CFCC recently received grant funds in the amount of $85,000 to support the operation of our Truancy Court Program(TCP) for 2017-18. We received $45,000 from the Charles Crane Family Foundation and $40,000 from the O’Neill Foundation.
Beginning in 2004 as the TCP’s initial funder, the Charles Crane Family Foundation has funded the TCP every year since that time. The O’Neill Foundation has funded the TCP once before in 2014-15. We are extremely grateful for the ongoing support of both organizations.
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September 2016- The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) announces Family Law Writing Competition
The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) and the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University, in cooperation with the editorial staff of the Family Court Review (FCR), have announced the eighth annual Family Law Writing Competition. The Editor-in-Chief of FCR, CFCC’s Founder and Director Professor Barbara Babb, encourages all interested University of Baltimore School of Law students to submit an entry to the competition. Please view the flyer for more information including entry requirements and prizes.
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September 2016- CFCC welcomes 10 Student Fellows for Fall 2016
CFCC welcomes ten new second- and third-year University of Baltimore School of Law students to the Fall 2016 CFCC Student Fellows Program! Throughout the semester, the Student Fellows will support the operation of CFCC’s Truancy Court Program (TCP) in Baltimore City Public Schools; research issues around substance abuse, addiction, attendance, and education; and work with the TCP Attorney and the TCP Social Worker to compile a policy piece on the criminalization of poverty. Please see the Student Fellows Bios to learn more about this year's Student Fellows, and stay tuned to read their blogs.
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August 2016- CFCC has published the 17th issue of its Unified Family Court Connection newsletter.
CFCC has published the 17th issue of its Unified Family Court Connection newsletter. This issue focuses on issues raised at CFCC’s 8th annual Urban Child Symposium, “The Education of the Urban Child.” The newsletter includes the following articles:
- “Restorative Approach Helps Identify the Root Causes of Student Behavior” by Karen E. Webber, J.D.
- “Reflecting on the History of School Discipline and the Juvenile Justice System” by Jenny L. Egan, J.D.
- “A Law School’s Truancy Court Program Reroutes the School-to-Prison Pipeline” by Michele Hong-Polansky, J.D.
- “Youth with Disabilities Face Major Barrier to School Attendance” by Pat Halle
For a paper copy of the newsletter or to be added to CFCC’s mailing list, please contact cfcc@ubalt.edu
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August 2016- CFCC’s Fall 2016 Truancy Court Program (TCP) begins in four Baltimore City Public Schools
CFCC has selected four Baltimore City Public Schools where it will operate its Truancy Court Program (TCP) for the 2016-2017 school year: Reginald F. Lewis High School, National Academy Foundation School, Fort Worthington Elementary/Middle, and Highlandtown Elementary/Middle. We are excited to work with these schools to identify the barriers to school attendance and to help find solutions to those barriers.
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July 18, 2016 – The Zanvyl and Isabelle Krieger Fund awards grant to CFCC’s Truancy Court Program
CFCC has received a grant in the amount of $15,000 from the Zanvyl and Isabelle Krieger Fund to help support the operation of its Truancy Court Program in four Baltimore City schools. CFCC sincerely appreciates the Krieger Fund’s commitment to the TCP and to Baltimore’s students and their families.
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July 7, 2016 – CFCC’s Truancy Court Program receives grant from the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention
CFCC has received a grant in the amount of $274,775 from the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention (GOCCP) to help support the operation of its Truancy Court Program (TCP) in several Baltimore City schools. CFCC sincerely appreciates GOCCP’s commitment to the TCP and to Baltimore’s students and their families.
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July 7, 2016 - CFCC’s Article Published by The National Center for State Courts
The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) has published “Maryland’s Family Divisions Are a Model for Change,” an article on Maryland’s Family Divisions by Professor Barbara Babb, CFCC’s Founder and Director, Gloria Danziger, CFCC Senior Fellow, and Michele Hong-Polonsky, CFCC Program Specialist. The article, published in NCSC’s 2016 Trends in State Courts, explains how the creation of the Family Divisions in 1998 has changed the ways in which Maryland professionals handle family law cases.
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June 21, 2016 - CFCC's Truancy Court Program Receives Grant from Administrative Office of the Courts
The Maryland Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) Department of Family Administration has awarded CFCC a grant of $117,025 to help support its Truancy Court Program. This is the ninth consecutive year that the AOC has provided funding to CFCC, and we thank them for their continued and generous support.
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May 2016- CFCC awarded three grants.
The University of Baltimore School of Law Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts recently received three grants totaling more than $132,000 for its Truancy Court Program (TCP), including a grant to support the TCP Attorney from the Maryland Judiciary’s Administrative Office of the Courts.
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April 13, 2016 – Brittany Strickland receives Cheryl Lynn Hepfer Family Law Award.
At University of Baltimore School of Law’s 2016 Awards Ceremony, Professor Barbara Babb, CFCC’s founder and director, presented Brittany Strickland with the second Cheryl Lynn Hepfer Family Law Award, endowed by the Maryland Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and established through CFCC. Ms. Strickland is a third year student at the University of Baltimore School of Law and a former CFCC Student Fellow who participated in CFCC's Truancy Court Program. In addition to the $1000 award, she also will be acknowledged and introduced at the Fall meeting of AAML’s Maryland Chapter.
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April 1, 2016 – CFCC advocates in support of a Task Force to Combat Habitual Truancy.
CFCC submitted a letter to the Maryland legislature’s House Ways and Means Committee in support of House Bill 429, a bill to create a Task Force to Combat Habitual Truancy. The Task Force would study the effectiveness of the State’s truancy programs and make recommendations on how best to combat habitual truancy.
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March 23, 2016 – Spring 2016 State Farm Good Neighbors workshops focus on financial literacy.
CFCC sponsored three financial literacy workshops this Spring in conjunction with its Truancy Court Program. The workshops were supported by a $15,000 State Farm Good Neighbor Citizenship Grant. CFCC Student Fellows (second- and third-year University of Baltimore law students enrolled in CFCC’s Student Fellows Program) developed workshop content for high school students in partnership with State Farm. Workshops in the series focused on financial literacy skills and included a presentation by State Farm agent David Rosario on money management and the logistics of opening savings accounts. The students also learned about making wise financial decisions and saving money through a “Game of Life” and “Money Jeopardy” developed by CFCC Student Fellow Amanda Odorimah. She also helped them prepare to enter the workforce by practicing interview skills and learning about entrepreneurship.
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March 16, 2016 – CFCC Truancy Court Program teaches mediation skills to Baltimore City Public School students.
Brittany Strickland and MaKayla Hannington, former CFCC Student Fellows (second- and third-year University of Baltimore law students enrolled in CFCC’s Student Fellows Program), gave CFCC’s Truancy Court Program students at Baltimore’s New Era Academy a special workshop on mediation as part of their work as Student Attorneys in UBalt’s Mediation Clinic for Families.. After explaining the mediation process, Brittany and MaKayla engaged the students in a mock mediation on issues relevant to the conflicts and relationship issues that the students have in their everyday lives.
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February 16, 2016 – Professor Barbara Babb named editor-in-chief of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts’ Family Court Review.
The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) has announced that Professor Barbara A. Babb, CFCC’s Director and Founder, has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of the Family Court Review. Published by AFCC in cooperation with the Center for Children, Families and the Law at Hofstra University School of Law, the quarterly Family Court Review is the leading interdisciplinary academic and research journal for family law professionals. Professor Babb has served on the Review’s Editorial Board since 1999, has written numerous articles published in the Review, and has guest-edited three special issues. She has also chaired the AFCC Court Services Task Force. She said, “I am honored that the AFCC Board of Directors selected me for this position. I hope to continue the excellent standards of this very important and highly regarded publication.” AFCC is the premier interdisciplinary and international association of professionals dedicated to the resolution of family conflict. AFCC members are the leading practitioners, researchers, teachers and policymakers in the family law arena.
Events
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April 6, 2017- Ninth Annual Urban Child Symposium, “Addiction and the Urban Child”
In its ninth Urban Child Symposium, the Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts brought together experts at the front lines of this critical national issue to examine the science of addiction, as well as the connections between substance use disorders and the legal, social, and economic problems faced by urban families. The symposium also explored ways in which our communities can help address the problems faced by families and children whose lives are affected by substance use disorders and dependence. Visit the event website for more detail about the symposium and the panelists.
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December 2016 – In collaboration with the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), CFCC held two trainings for professionals who work with families and children.
- December 5-6, 2016: “Alcohol and Other Drugs: It’s A Family Affair,” with Judge Peggy Fulton Hora and Steve Hanson. This was a two-day training program for parenting coordinators, mediators, lawyers, judges, therapists, parent educators, and other family law professionals.
- December 7-8, 2016: “Managing Intractable Issues in Child Custody Disputes,” with Robin M. Deutsch, PhD, ABPP. This two-day training program was for parenting coordinators, mediators, lawyers, judges, therapists, parent educators, and other professionals who work with high conflict families.
The events were held in the Student Center at the University of Baltimore from 8:30AM-4:00PM. For more information pertaining to the AFCC/CFCC Trainings please view the Training Brochure.
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October 6, 2016- AFCC MD Chapter’s 2nd Annual Chapter Meeting and Educational Seminar
CFCC co-hosted the Maryland Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts' 2nd Annual Chapter Meeting and Educational Seminar on October 6, 2016, at the University of Baltimore School of Law. The event, “There’s Gotta Be Another Way," took place in the Moot Court Room from 9:30AM to 4:30PM and explored meaningful alternatives to costly and protracted custody litigation and custody evaluations, among other issues. For more information, please see the flyer.
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July & August 2016- CFCC presented workshops for the UMBC Choice Program focused on truancy.
CFCC’s Truancy Court Program (TCP) presented a series of five workshops for the University of Maryland- Baltimore County (UMBC) Choice Program in July and August. The workshops trained Choice mentors about effective ways to address the reasons why students are truant. The UMBC Choice Program provides family-focused strategies and mentoring services to youth in order to promote positive life choices and expand their opportunities.
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July 2016 – CFCC faculty gave presentation at National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Annual Meeting.
CFCC Founder and Director Professor Barbara Babb and CFCC Senior Fellow Gloria Danziger presented a workshop on CFCC’s Truancy Court Program at the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Annual Conference, July 17-20, 2016, in Monterey, California. The July 18 workshop explained how the judiciary and law schools can partner with public schools to develop and implement a truancy prevention program that operates according to holistic, therapeutic, and non-adversarial principles.
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June 2, 2016 – CFCC faculty give presentation at Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Annual Conference.
CFCC Founder and Director Professor Barbara Babb, Maryland Circuit Court Judge Cathy Serrette and CFCC Senior Fellow Gloria Danziger presented a workshop on “Substance Abuse and Addiction in Family Courts: What Judges, Lawyers and Court Personnel Should Know” at the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Annual Conference, June 1-4, 2016, in Seattle. The June 2 workshop discussed the components of a family-focused perspective of addiction, adolescent substance abuse and how it differs from adult drug use, the underlying addiction issues that often affect separating and divorcing families, and the family court’s response to addiction issues.
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May 25, 2016 – TCP Principals’ Workshop
CFCC held its annual Truancy Court Program (TCP) Principals’ Workshop on Wednesday, May 25. The workshop, “A Truancy Court Program for Baltimore City: Positive Results for Children, Families, Schools and Communities,” provided information about the TCP, changes planned for the 2016–2017 school year, and the process to apply for the TCP.
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May 2016 – CFCC faculty gave presentation at Association of American Law Schools Clinical Conference.
CFCC Founder and Director Professor Barbara Babb and CFCC Senior Fellow Gloria Danziger presented “A Law School’s Truancy Court Program: Re-routing the School-to-Prison Pipeline” at the 2016 Conference on Clinical Legal Education on Sunday, May 1, 2016, in Baltimore. The Honorable Yvette Bryant, Judge-in-Charge of the Baltimore City Circuit Court Family Division, and Moshe Berry, a school social worker, also presented. Panelists explained the genesis of CFCC’s Truancy Court Program (TCP) and highlighted the impact of participation in the TCP on University of Baltimore law students.
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April 2016 – Eighth annual Urban Child Symposium focused on “The Education of the Urban Child.”
Over 200 people attended the University of Baltimore School of Law Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts (CFCC) eighth annual Urban Child Symposium, “The Education of the Urban Child,” on April 7, 2016. Speakers focused on issues relating to educational inequality, the school-to-prison pipeline, and students with special needs. Keynote speaker, James Cole, Jr., General Counsel, Delegated Duties of Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education, spoke about President Obama’s “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative. For more detail, visit the event page.
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February 17, 2016 – CFCC judges’ luncheon honors and celebrates volunteers who serve as Truancy Court Program Judges.
CFCC hosted a Truancy Court Program Judges’ luncheon on February 17, 2016, to honor and celebrate Baltimore City and Anne Arundel County District and Circuit Court Judges who volunteer to serve as TCP Judges. CFCC faculty,TCP staff, and guests from the Maryland Administrative Office of the Courts, Department of Family Administration, listened as the judges provided their insights into the TCP’s mission and operations.
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February 2016 - Professor Barbara Babb was keynote speaker at the California Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Annual Conference.
Professor Barbara Babb, CFCC’s Director, was the keynote speaker at the California Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Annual Conference, “Lighting the Path for Family Reorganization: Contemporary Challenges and Innovative Solutions,” on February 19, 2016. Her presentation, “Therapeutic Jurisprudence and Unified Family Courts: A Bright Light for Family Reorganization,” focused on her work regarding an interdisciplinary framework for the creation of unified family courts.