Acknowledgments
On behalf of James Bell Associates, Inc. (JBA), we would like to acknowledge the assistance and support we received throughout this project. First, we want to thank our Federal Project Officer, Emily Cooke of the Children's Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for her guidance and support throughout this project. We also wish to acknowledge the important contributions made by HHS staff from the Administration on Children Youth and Families.
Especially, we want to thank the members of the Technical Work Group (TWG) who were an integral part of this project. All were extremely helpful, readily sharing their insights and ideas in developing this project's approach, as well as the recommendations for a national evaluation of the Court Improvement Program (CIP). Also, the TWG was instrumental in interpreting findings by providing their program, policy and research expertise:
Barbara DeMayo, Coordinator Special Projects, New York City Family Court
Victor E. Flango, Vice President, National Center for State Courts
Sophia Gatowski, Assistant Director, National Council of Juvenile & Family Court Judges
Marilou T. Giovannucci, Manager, Court Operations, Connecticut Judicial Branch
Mark Hardin, Director, National Child Welfare Resource Center on Legal & Judicial Issues
Lelia Baum Hopper, Director, Court Improvement Program, Supreme Court of Virginia
Althea R. Stewart Jones, Director, Foster Care Court Improvement, Maryland Judicial Center
Kathleen A. Kearney, Visiting Professor, School of Social Work, Florida State University
Raymond S. Kirk, Clinical Associate Professor, Jordan Institute for Families, University of North Carolina
Roberta Sue McKenna, Assistant Director, Kansas Department of Social & Rehabilitation Services
Mary Volpa Mentaberry, Director, National Council of Juvenile & Family Court Judges
Michael Nash, Presiding Judge, Los Angeles Juvenile Court
Stephen W. Rideout, Chief Judge, Alexandria Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court
Mark F. Testa, Director of Research, Office of the DCFS Research Director, University of Illinois
Nancy Thoennes, Associate Director, Center for Policy Research
We also want to thank the staff from the courts and child welfare agencies we met with in each of the sites we visited. In addition to facilitating our visits, they took the time to answer our many questions and show us the many impressive improvements they have made in court processes and services for children and families. Complete lists of those we met with on site are provided in the site reports contained in Volume II to this report. The following individuals deserve special thanks for coordinating our visits, answering follow-up questions and carefully reviewing our evaluability assessment site reports:
Arkansas
Connie Hickman Tanner, Director, Juvenile Division Courts
Connecticut
Marilou Giovannucci, Manager, Court Operations
Delaware
Lynn Shreve, Senior Program Coordinator, CASA
Kansas
Mark Gleeson, Family & Children Program Coordinator, Office of Judicial Administration
Dawn Spencer, Court Improvement Specialist, Office of Judicial Administration
Wayne Count, Michigan
Laura Bassein, Office of Dispute Resolution
Linda Glover, Coordinator, Court Improvement Program
Marion County, Oregon
Nancy Miller, Juvenile Court Improvement Program (JCIP) Grant Administrator
Erin Ruff, JCIP Dependency Mediation Coordinator
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
John Buggy, Director, Systems Development, Juvenile Branch
Texas
Carole Hurley, Director, Children's Justice Act Project
Angela Miranda-Clark, Foster Care Courts Attorney, Office of Court Administration
Virginia
Lelia Baum Hopper, Director, Court Improvement Program
We acknowledge the JBA staff members who worked diligently on the project:
| Elaine Cardenas Guy DeWeever Susan DiFilippo |
Rowena Gear Aracelis Gray Carol Hafford |
Elizabeth Lee Maria Schepise |
Margaret Southern Amber Zitzman |
Finally, we wish to thank our technical consultant, Ms. Judith Larsen, Esq., who provided the study team with her expert program and policy expertise.
Again, we extend our sincerest appreciation to all who assisted in this effort.
| Karl Ensign Project Director, JBA |
Elyse Kaye Executive Vice President, JBA |
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