Recently, staff from the Judicial Branch told legislators that their number one priority is the protection of Iowa’s children.
The Legislature has helped them pursue that priority and make communities safer. Through funding approved by the Legislature, “juvenile court officers have the time to give troubled children the specialized services they need while holding them responsible for their actions.”
In addition, funding from the Legislature has expanded Iowa’s successful Family Treatments Courts, which address substance abuse issues of parents who are at risk of losing their children. Court staff hold parents accountable for their behavior and help them learn good parenting skills.
Parents and caregivers involved in the Family Treatment Courts are more like to keep their children at home and out of the child welfare system.
Court statistics indicate that of 1,099 children whose parents or caregivers were involved in the Family Treatment Courts, 76 percent were able to remain at home. The vast majority — 95 percent of the children — did not suffer a recurrence of mistreatment.