Court Improvement Program May Receive Funding Boost
The federal Court Improvement Program (CIP) could see its funding double from $30 to $60 million per year under new legislation that has been introduced in the House. The proposed increase may be included in broader legislation reauthorizing Title IV-B programs, which advocates hope will be approved by the end of the year.
The Court Improvement Program provides funding to the highest court of each state to implement changes that will help children in foster care achieve stable, permanent families, including through adoption and guardianship placements. Improvements funded through the program have included increasing the timeliness and quality of hearings, reducing attorney and judicial caseloads, providing legal training, implementing best practices, and upgrading computer technology and data systems. These efforts are supported by the Center for the Courts, a partnership of the American Bar Association (ABA), the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), the National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC), Public Knowledge, and Westat.
On September 20, Reps. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) and Carol Miller (R-WV) introduced bipartisan legislation (HR 8924) that would further address these needs. The bill, called the Strengthening Courts for Kids and Families Act, would provide $60 million annually for the program, matching a similar proposed increase in both President Biden’s most recent budget submission as well as President Trump’s. It would also add civil legal services that support the stability and permanency of family reunification to the list of family preservation services that can be provided with Title IV-B funds. It would also authorize state courts to assess the effectiveness of remote hearings.
Another bill (HR 8789), introduced by Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT), would also increase annual funding for the program to $60 million. However, this increase is offset by a reduction in TANF funding. The bill would also allow spending on technological improvements, including those that facilitate holding foster care or adoption proceedings remotely.
The prospect that some version of these bills might be enacted this year seems to depend on whether Title IV-B reauthorization moves in Congress. Congressional Democrats seem hopeful, but so far there has been no apparent interest from Congressional Republicans.
This is an article from Voice for Adoption’s free monthly public policy newsletter.
