Every 7 minutes an infant or toddler is removed from their home due to
alleged abuse or neglect. Abuse and neglect has been linked with serious
developmental consequences for infants and toddlers including, but not
limited to, disorganized attachments and developmental delays. These
negative developmental consequences can be further perpetuated in a
foster care system with infrequent visitation, multiple placement
changes, and delays in achieving permanency.
However,
developmental neuroscience demonstrates that developmentally appropriate
early intervention and child welfare policies can help infants and
toddlers overcome the negative developmental consequences that stem from
maltreatment. Recognizing this, ZERO TO THREE created the Safe Babies
Court Teams; a project rooted in developmental science, which aims to:
1.
increase awareness among those who work with maltreated infants and
toddlers about the negative impact of abuse and neglect on very young
children; and,
2. change local systems to improve outcomes and prevent future court involvement in the lives of very young children.
The
Safe Babies Court Teams works towards these goals by training
professionals, providing resources , encouraging collaboration between
existing community service providers in Court Teams sites, and
increasing parent-child contact, mental health capacity and placement
stability in the Court Team sites. Thus far, two evaluations indicate
that the Court Teams Project is experiencing success in reaching its
goals.
Learn More
Safe Babies Court Teams Sites - The Safe Babies Court Teams project has 5 active Court Team sites across the nation. The 5 sites, which can be found from coast to coast (and beyond!).
A Brief History of The Safe Babies Court Teams Project - The Dependency Court Intervention Program for Family Violence (DCIPFV) project began as a conversation between two people—the first a judge and former ZERO TO THREE (ZTT) fellow and the second and a psychology professor and former ZTT Board President—about the number of very young children involved in domestic violence cases.
Safe Babies Court Teams: 10 Core Components - The Safe Babies Court Teams project has 10 core components. These components, implemented in each Safe Babies Court Teams site, are critical for the project to function effectively and successfully.
Safe Babies Court Teams Staff - Here is a list of The Safe Babies Court Teams staff both nationally and locally.
Safe Babies Court Team: A Proven Solution - Evaluation is a critical component of the ZERO TO THREE Safe Babies Court Teams. Thus far the Safe Babies Court Teams has undergone two evaluations.
Safe Babies Products - One of the most important components of the Safe Babies Court Team Project is increasing awareness about the needs of maltreated infants and toddlers.
