Assessing The Relationship Between The Quality Of Juvenile Dependency Hearings And Foster Care Placements

Abstract

The current study examines the relationship between three hearing quality indicators—depth of discussion, judicial inquiry, and judicial engagement of parents—and placement outcomes for maltreated children and youth at early case hearings (i.e., preliminary protective and adjudication hearings). We find that higher levels of judicial engagement of parents during preliminary protective hearings was significantly related to increased placements with relatives and decreased placements in nonrelative foster care. Levels of judicial inquiry and hearing discussion had no apparent effect on where children were placed during preliminary protective hearings. The implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed. Key Point for the Family Court Community This study deepens current understanding of the ways in which three juvenile dependency hearing quality indicators relate to foster care placement outcomes.