View a Report on CFCC activities and impact from July 2022 through June 2022.
CFCC News
CFCC's March Newsletter Reflects on activies and impact in 2022, and CFCC’s Executive Director looks back on four years at the Center as they prepare for a new chapter.
Click here to read the full article and subscribe to future communications.
On Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at 7PM, Daniel L. Hatcher will discuss his book, "Injustice, Inc.: How America's Justice System Commodifies Children and the Poor", in conversation w/ Shanta Trivedi.
Please Contribute to TCP Family Food Baskets
CFCC operates the Truancy Court Program (TCP) in some of Baltimore’s most underserved neighborhoods. Working to re-engage students and families with their schools, the TCP identifies and addresses the reasons why students are missing school, including violence, poverty, poor health, substance use, grief, homelessness and unemployment, to name a few. Many of our families rely on school meals that are not available when students are not in school. As spring break approaches, your donation will help us provide food baskets to as many of our TCP students and families as possible. Each basket costs approximately $40 and will include enough food to share with the student's household. Thank you for helping to support Baltimore City students and their families during this difficult time!
CFCC Symposium on Protecting Family Integrity, Thursday September 29, 2022 – Recordings are now available on the University of Baltimore School of Law’s YouTube Channel :
- Keynote conversation with University of Pennsylvania Law Professor Dorothy Roberts and Andrea James, Founder and Executive Director of the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls and Founder of Families for Justice as Healing, moderated by CFCC Faculty Director Shanta Trived.
- Incarceration and Its Devastating Impact on Families with the panelists Yanet Amanuel, Director of Public Policy at the ACLU of Maryland; Kristin Henning, Blume Professor of Law at Georgetown Law; Shari Ostrow Scher, Founder and Executive Director of Children of Incarcerated Parents; Nicole Hanson-Mundell, Executive Director of Out for Justice; and moderator Odeana Neal, Professor at University of Baltimore School of Law.
- Promoting Family Integrity while Ensuring Children’s Welfare with the panelists Jamar Barnes, advocate, scholar, and former foster youth; Marty Guggenheim, formerly Fiorello LaGuardia Professor of Clinical Law at NYU School of Law; Stephanie Franklin, President and CEO of the Franklin Law Group; Nate Golden, Baltimore City Public School teacher and President of Maryland Child Alliance; Joyce McMillan, Founder and Executive Director for JMAC for Families; and moderator Shereen A. White, Director of Advocacy and Policy at Children’s Rights
CFCC in the Spotlight
January 17, 2023 – CFCC and the Center for Criminal Justice Reform co-hosted a discussion of Kristin Henning’s new book The Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth. Henning is the Blume Professor of Law and Director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic and Initiative at Georgetown Law.
January 20, 2023 – Shanta Trivedi presented her paper “How Asking for Help Harms Survivors” at the Centering Family Violence Roundtable at the University of Virginia School of Law.
January 27, 2023 – CFCC Executive Director Rebecca Stahl presented the webinar “Vicarious Trauma and Judges’ Self Care” at the Administrative Office of the Courts.
February 7, 2023 – Shanta Trivedi moderated a webinar for the UB Law in Focus Series, “ Is the Indian Child Welfare Act Unconstitutional?”
February 9, 2023 – Rebecca Stahl presented the training “Trauma-Informed Practices for Legal Professionals” at the Pro Bono Resource Center in Baltimore.
February 14, 2023 – Shanta Trivedi was quoted in the article “Maryland Eyes Law to Protect Domestic Violence Survivors from ‘Failure to Protect’ Charge,” by Sara Tiano in The Imprint Youth and Family News. Shanta provided testimony on behalf of the law, which, if passed, would be the first of its kind in the U.S.
The Charles Crane Family Foundation continued its nearly two decades of support for the operation of CFCC’s Truancy Court Program with a grant of $60,000 this year. The foundation was CFCC's first donor in 2004. We thank the Charles Crane Family Foundation for their unwavering support of CFCC.
CFCC WORKS TO ENSURE THAT THE FAMILY JUSTICE SYSTEM AND THE PRACTICE OF FAMILY LAW IMPROVE THE LIVES OF FAMILIES AND CHILDREN AND THE HEALTH OF COMMUNITIES.
CFCC aims to improve the practice of family law and to reform the family justice system in ways that better serve the complex needs of today's families, children and communities.
We are strong advocates for the creation and implementation of a court structure that has comprehensive subject-matter jurisdiction over all family law matters.
WHAT WE DO
We educate new and experienced attorneys
We prepare attorneys to address the complex issues of family law cases through internships.
We advocate for family justice system reform
We work nationwide to advocate for problem-solving courts. Our goal is to ensure that the family justice system helps, not harms, families, children and communities.
We consult with courts and jurisdictions
We work with courts and jurisdictions nationally and internationally to improve the delivery of legal, social, judicial, administrative and other services within the family justice system. We work with jurisdictions to evaluate and recommend reforms to a jurisdiction's family justice system.
We provide resources and trainings for professional development
Our training programs and tools provide judges, attorneys, court professionals and services providers with resources to increase their understanding of the overwhelming problems that so often bring families and children to court.
We engage the community and interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline
Our Truancy Court Program directly improves the lives of students, families and schools. Our annual Urban Child Symposium brings together professionals across a wide range of disciplines to address issues affecting the well-being of children nationwide.