In 2018 the Youth Court in partnership with the Department for Child Protection and Legal Services Commission agreed on piloting a Reunification Court. In 2020 the pilot was evaluated, and some recommendations were made as to improvement. A project occurred in 2021 to implement the recommendations for improvement. The Reunification Court continues to operate in the way established by the pilot and without a legislative framework.
The Reunification Court is where the Judge meets with the parents and the case worker to review the progress towards reunification as agreed in the case plan.
The Reunification Court is conducted informally around the bench table in Court Room 1 and conducted by:
- The Judge of the Youth Court.
- The parents/child’s DCP caseworker,
- The child’s legal representative
At the hearings, a case plan is verbally presented by the DCP worker, outlining what changes need to occur and how they will be achieved, and progress is reviewed.
20 мар 2022
