In years past, deprived children
who were removed from their families and placed in foster care
were reviewed by the Court every two years. Needless to say, it
was easy for a child to suffer in foster care and there was little
court monitored effort to reunify families.
That changed in 1989 when the
Court instituted the Judicial-Citizen Panel Review Program (Panels).
Panel members are specially trained citizen-volunteers who work
in groups of five. Each Panel meets together monthly to review
the welfare of children in Department of Family and Children Services
(DFACS) custody. They consider the progress the child is making,
the effectiveness of the current Court order, the compliance of
parents and caseworkers with the Court order. This information
is gathered by meeting with parents, the child, educators, caseworkers,
and treatment professionals at the Panel hearings.
Ultimately, the Panel makes suggestions
for change that will best serve the child during the next six
months. Panel members must be familiar with community services,
child development, education issues, drug treatment issues, medical
and psychological issues. Their training is provided by the Court
and by the Council of Juvenile Court Judges of Georgia. After
initial training each Panel members must attend five hours of
training per year.
The Panel's ultimate task is to
see that the child is in a permanent home as soon as safely possible.
The permanent home may be back with parents or guardians who have
improved their parenting practices, with a relative, with an adoptive
family, or with another permanent home approved by the Court.
If the Panels are operating effectively, no child should be expected
to grow up in foster care.
If you desire further information
about the Judicial-Citizen Review Panel Program, please call.....
Denise Spivey, (Program Coordinator)
706 281-4619
