Home      Login

Abstract: 

In response to increasing pressure on the child welfare system to address the problems of substance-abusing parents who neglect or abuse their children, family dependency treatment courts, or “dependency drug courts” (DDCs) have emerged. A DDC combines the functions of: Providing therapeutic interventions for individuals with substance abuse problems under court monitoring; and monitoring families in the child welfare system with regard to child protection and permanent placement. DDCs provide a coordinated and collaborative approach to the problem of substance-abusing parents who neglect or abuse their children and a structure for linking child welfare supervision and substance abuse treatment with ongoing judicial oversight and team management. The authors examine the impact of DDCs on family life for those in the welfare system.

Keywords: drug court

Affiliations:  1: University of California, Los Angeles; 2: University of California, Los Angeles.