News & Events

News & Events

News

  • Two Anne Arundel County middle schools are now working with CFCC to develop and establish the Truancy Court Program (TCP), and expansion to other counties is underway.  Lindale Middle School and Brooklyn Park Middle School, in partnership with CFCC, have begun operating the TCP in mid-September.  The Honorable Ronald Silkworth, an Anne Arundel County Circuit Court judge, is serving as a volunteer TCP judge.  The Anne Arundel County TCP is funded by the FY 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act.
  • CFCC has posted three major reports on its Web site.  The reports, commissioned by the Maryland Administrative Office of the Courts and prepared in collaboration with law students enrolled in the CFCC Student Fellows Program, provide information about custody evaluation practices, supervised visitation, and parent education programs.  The material is designed to assist court systems to implement evidence-based best practices that improve service delivery in these areas.
  • CFCC welcomes Sharon Rubinstein, a new Senior Fellow who has joined us in September.  She is slated to work on the full range of CFCC activities, including the Truancy Court Project, Unified Family Court reform, and CFCC outreach and communications.  Sharon comes to CFCC from the Public Justice Center and previously from Advocates for Children and Youth.
  • CFCC's Truancy Court Program (TCP) welcomes Arion Alston, who serves as a TCP mentor, and Jessica Stowell, who is a TCP coordinator.  They work at Steuart Hill Academic Academy and Highlandtown Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore and in Brooklyn Park and Lindale Middle Schools in Anne Arundel County.
    Mr. Alston was most recently an assistant professor of acting and theater at Loyola University.  Ms. Stowell worked for four years as an English teacher at Thurgood Marshall High School in Baltimore.
  • CFCC has received a record thirty applications for its Truancy Court Program (TCP) from Baltimore City Public Schools.  The eight schools selected for the 2009-2010 school year include: City Springs Elementary/Middle School, Harlem Park Elementary/Middle School, Hazelwood Elementary/Middle School, Steuart Hill Academic Academy Middle, Winston Middle School, Frederick Douglas High School (9th grade), Barclay Elementary/Middle School, and Highlandtown Elementary/Middle School.
  • Thirty Baltimore City public schools have applied to CFCC to establish a Truancy Court Program (TCP) after attending a June 20 workshop on the TCP.  The eight schools selected for the 2009-2010 school year include: City Springs Elementary/Middle School, Harlem Park Elementary/Middle School, Hazelwood Elementary/Middle School, Steuart Hill Academic Academy Middle, Winston Middle School, Frederick Douglas High School (9th grade), Barclay Elementary Middle School, and Highlandtown Elementary/Middle School.  There was a training session for the TCP teams from all selected schools on Thursday, August 20, from 8:30 am until 12 noon in the University of Baltimore Student Center.
  • Coming soon is the fall issue of CFCC's newsletter, Unified Family Court Connection.  Look for pieces on unified family court developments around the world, with articles highlighting practices in Egypt, Australia, and Israel.
  • The spring issue of the Unified Family Court Connection is still available; its focus is on children and the courts.  Featured articles address how courts help families in crisis, the use of mediation in child protection cases, and a therapist's and a client's perspective on the court's role in helping children in crisis, among others.  The newsletter is mailed to 1,500 judges, attorneys, court administrators, law school faculty, legislators and other family court experts around the country.
  • CFCC formed a new partnership with the Friends School of Baltimore, an independent K-12 school.  Ms. Amy Schmaljohn's “Peace, Nonviolence, and Social Justice” class invited CFCC to speak to the class about the Truancy Court Program (TCP) in December.  After hearing about the program, the juniors and seniors in the class launched a school-wide drive to collect 100 backpacks filled with school supplies and handwritten notes of encouragement for TCP students.  In addition, the Friends School students expressed an interest in participating in other TCP activities, including mentoring and tutoring.
  • December 15-16, 2008 — CFCC Director Barbara A. Babb and Judith Moran, CFCC Senior Fellow, provided training to the New Mexico judiciary on Unified Family Courts (UFCs).  Collaborating with the National Center for State Courts, CFCC educated participants on a UFC's advantages, physical attributes, operation, services and many other issues.

Upcoming Events

  • April 1, 2010 - University of Baltimore School of Law Moot Courtroom - CFCC will host the second annual Urban Child Symposium, which will focus on issues of health as they affect urban children.
  • The Truancy Court Program is gathering participating students and families for a night of games, pizza, soda and prizes.  Instead of the program's usual focus on attendance and academic performance, this is a time during each ten-week session for students and families to relax, converse and get to know each other.  So far, CFCC and the TCP team have scheduled Family Fun Nights for October 28th, November 4th, 10th, 11th, and 18th.
  • The Truancy Court Program has a Fall 2009 Read Aloud scheduled for October 30th at Harlem Park Elementary/Middle School.  The University of Baltimore School of Law Women's Bar Association is sponsoring the event, where members plan to read books to the young students.  Read Alouds give elementary school students the chance to hear their favorite books being read by someone from the community.  Incorporated as a part of the Truancy Court Program, Read Alouds allow student groups and businesses to interact with the Truancy Court Program students on a one-time basis.  Usually a volunteer group sends two to three representatives.  If there are enough volunteers, the Truancy Court Program students are paired one-on-one with a volunteer.  Often, after the book or books have been read, students draw pictures about the story they have heard.  Refreshments are provided.

Recent Events

  • Monday, September 21, 12 noon-1pm, School of Law Venable Baetjer Howard Moot Court Room - CFCC convened an informational session for members of the University of Baltimore community interested in serving as volunteers for the Truancy Court Program.  Volunteers serve as mentors and tutors, among other possibilities.  In addition, volunteers donate goods and services for the student rewards aspect of the program.  The session is free and open to the public.
  • Tuesday, September 2, 9:30 am-12 noon, Anne Arundel Community College - CFCC hosted a stakeholders' meeting for the Anne Arundel County Truancy Court Program.  CFCC explained the TCP to representatives from the judicial and legal communities, service providers, schools, and agencies in an effort to form partnerships with agencies, groups, and organizations interested in school attendance in Anne Arundel County.
  • August 20, 2009, 8:30am-12 noon, University of Baltimore Student Center, 5th Floor - CFCC presented a workshop on the Truancy Court Program (TCP) process to teams of schools selected for participation in the 2009-2010 TCP.  The workshop provided technical assistance and guidance on establishing the TCP, selecting appropriate students, collecting necessary data and information, and collaborating with CFCC.
  • August 13, 2009 - Professor Barbara Babb, CFCC Director, presented a program on unified family courts (UFCs) to the Louisiana judiciary in New Orleans.  The presentation educated participants on a UFC's structure, theoretical underpinnings, advantages, concerns, assessment, and many other issues.
  • June 18, 2009 - CFCC presented a workshop for all Baltimore City elementary, elementary/middle, and middle school principals and assistant principals.  The workshop, "A Truancy Court Program for Baltimore City: Positive Results for Children, Families, Schools, and Communities," provided an overview of the Truancy Court Program planned for the 2009-2010 school year and explained the application process for principals interested to establish the program in their schools.
  • June 2, 2009 - Professor Barbara Babb gave a presentation about Unified Family Courts at the Family Division of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City to six visiting Egyptian family court judges.  The judges' visit was sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development and was part of a two-week study visit by the judges to various courts, including Miami, the District of Columbia and Baltimore.
  • May 22, 2009 - CFCC presented a workshop on the Truancy Court Program (TCP) at the Maryland Association of Pupil Personnel Spring Conference.  The workshop provided an overview of the TCP and information about CFCC's new initiative to replicate the TCP in Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Prince George's, and Montgomery Counties and to expand the program in Baltimore City.  The presentation generated great enthusiasm and excitement among participants, who were interested to identify ways in which they could establish the TCP in their schools.
  • May 19, 2009 - The Hon. Catherine Curran O'Malley, First Lady of Maryland and Associate Judge of the District Court for Baltimore City, hosted a reception at the Government House in Annapolis for the 2008-2009 Truancy Court Program graduates and their families.  This is the third such reception for TCP graduates hosted by Judge O'Malley, who has served as a volunteer TCP judge since its inception in 2004.  Over 100 students, family members, school administrators, and faculty attended the reception, which featured the presentation by Judge O'Malley of congratulatory certificates to each TCP graduate in attendance.

    Photos of the reception are located on the Governor's Photo Gallery Website.

  • April 25, 2009 - Professor Barbara A. Babb, CFCC's Director, and Gloria Danziger, CFCC's Senior Fellow, presented a workshop on substance abuse and addiction during the American Bar Association Family Law Section's Spring Continuing Legal Education conference in Baltimore, Maryland.  The workshop, which also included addiction experts, Dr. Stuart Tiegel and Dr. Bernadette Solounias, focused on the medical consequences of addiction and their impact on families and children, the effectiveness of treatment, and ways in which attorneys and family courts can use this information to develop a comprehensive plan that addresses both the legal and non-legal aspects of a family law case involving an addictive illness.
  • April 2, 2009 - The first annual Urban Child Symposium, "Solving the Dropout Crisis: Getting the Other Half to Attend and Achieve," took place in the School of Law Moot Court Room.  The symposium featured a series of panel discussions devoted to issues affecting the education of inner-city children.  Panelists discussed the challenges facing urban children, the issues presented by chronic truancy, and the programs and methods that enhance a child's likelihood to complete high school.  Jonathan Kozol, author of the groundbreaking Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools, was the keynote speaker.  For further information, including Webcasts of the day's panel presentations, please visit our Web page on the first Urban Child Symposium.
  • March 24, 2009 - CFCC hosted the opening of the Truancy Court Program's (TCP) "Kids and Cameras" art exhibit at the University of Baltimore School of Law Gallery of Art.  CFCC implemented the project at Waverly Middle School in 2008 as an after-school program for TCP and other middle school students.  The ten-week program included classes on the history of photography, how to use photography to express certain emotions and themes, and basic photography skills.  Students received cameras which they used to capture images that had particular meaning for them, ranging from nature to "my school."  Each student selected six photographs for professional matting and framing.  The photographs are on display in the Dean's Corridor in the John and Frances Angelos Law Center at 1415 Maryland Avenue, Baltimore.

Press Coverage

  • The Daily Record published in its July 27 issue an article about the TCP's expansion to elementary and middle schools throughout Maryland.  The article, "UB Law Gets $500K in Federal Funds to Expand Program," featured interviews with CFCC faculty and staff and focused on the TCP's replication as a result of the $500,000 Omnibus Appropriations Act federal grant for the TCP.  According to the principal of a TCP school quoted in the article, the TCP "was one of the most organized and structured programs that has performed with my students.  Children and parents realize we're all here to support them."
  • The Baltimore Times published in its March 27- April 2 edition an article about the partnership between the Friends School of Baltimore and CFCC's Truancy Court Program.  Friends School students collected 100 backpacks and school supplies for CFCC's Truancy Court Program students.  The article reported on the discussion between Friends School students and those from Steuart Hill Academic Academy, where a backpack exchange took place.  According to the article, Friends School students wanted to convey that the main social injustice in today's society, in their view, is a lack of education.
  • In a December 15, 2008, article in the Baltimore Examiner, which no longer publishes, emphasized the unique approach of CFCC's Truancy Court Program (TCP).  The article described how the program engages Baltimore City Public School staff, volunteer judges from the Baltimore City District and Circuit Courts, University of Baltimore law students, and TCP students and their families in a collaborative effort to uncover and address the reasons why a child is absent from school.  The article noted that the TCP is a therapeutic, non-punitive approach to truancy.
  • The Baltimore Sun published on June 11, 2008, an op-ed by Professor Barbara A. Babb, CFCC Director, and Gloria Danziger, CFCC Senior Fellow, about CFCC's Truancy Court Program (TCP).  “Tackling truancy at its source” discusses the TCP's approach to solve the problems that give rise to students' truant behavior.  The authors describe what happens when we ignore these problems and why the TCP devotes substantial time and effort to fashion effective solutions.
  • Commentary by Professor Barbara Babb, Director for Families, Children and the Courts, is featured in an article on May 21, 2008 from the Washington Blade entitled, “Md. high court ends child visitation for lesbian.”  The article, posted by Southern Voice Online, explained the Maryland Court of Appeals' decision regarding child visitation rights for ex-partners of same-sex couples.
  • The therapeutic and preventive aspects of CFCC's Truancy Court Program, operating in six Baltimore City Public Schools, were highlighted in an article appearing in The Baltimore Sun on May 2, 2008.  “Dispensing discipline at city truancy court” features First Lady and volunteer Truancy Court Program Judge Catherine Curran O'Malley, CFCC Senior Fellow Gloria Danziger, and former Truancy Court Program Coordinator Patricia Schminke.

Press Releases

Op Eds/Letters to Editor

Video Clips

  • See video of the segment, “Dad Accused of Killing Faces Death Penalty,” featuring CFCC's Director, Professor Barbara A. Babb.  The segment, which focused on a father's recent murder of his three young children at a Baltimore City hotel, aired on WJZ-TV in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 2, 2008.  (This video link is posted with the permission of WJZ.COM.)  Just recently, Mark Castillo pleaded guilty in the deaths, and has been sentenced to three life terms without the possibility of parole.

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