Packing for your JCAMP journey and reflecting on lessons learned along the way

Abstract

State Court Improvement Programs (CIPs) are responsible for conducting assessments of their foster care and adoption laws and judicial processes, and developing and implementing projects that improve child welfare court practices and the delivery of legal services in child welfare. JCAMP, the Judicial, Court, and Attorney Measures of Performance, provides states with the tools to collect the data necessary to inform those projects and measure their success. This article walks CIPs, judges, child welfare agencies, attorneys, parents and youth with lived experience, and anyone else with an interest in improving the child welfare court system through the JCAMP implementation process while reflecting on lessons learned by jurisdictions currently using JCAMP to collect court data. Key takeaways from these states include the importance of diverse teams, strong project management, and long-term planning for data use and project sustainability.