Cobb County Family Dependency Treatment CourtFamily Reunification Program

The purpose of the Family Drug Courts Program is to build the capacity of states, state and local courts, units of local government, and federally recognized Indian tribal governments to develop and establish drug courts for substance-abusing adults involved with the family dependency court as a result of child abuse and neglect issues. The program must provide services to the children of the parents in the program as well as to the parents. The program provides seed money, not long-term support. OJJDP expects successful applicants to develop and implement a sustainability plan during the grant period to continue operation of the family drug court when the grant ends. The program is authorized under 42 U.S.C. 3797u, et seq.

Out of a growing concern for the future of young children negatively impacted by drug abuse, in 2006 the Cobb County Juvenile Court established a Family Dependency Treatment Court (FDTC). The Family Reunification Program (FRP) will enhance existing FDTC services by: (1) providing intensive parent education programming, (2) hiring a full-time in-home family therapist to provide supportive therapeutic services to families, and (3) conduct an independent evaluation of overall program efficacy. The enhancement will serve 50 families annually. The FRP goals are to: (1) improve Caregiver Outcomes, (2) improve child outcomes, and (3) decrease family involvement in the child welfare system. Using the evidence-based models of Family Drug Court and the Celebrating Families parenting curriculum, parents addicted to alcohol and drugs will receive treatment and develop positive parenting skills as part of comprehensive wraparound services to prevent relapse and promote family reunification. The FRP will increase child safety, permanency and well-being by preventing maltreatment, promoting parent-child reunification and bonding through the National Family Drug Court Initiative guidelines. CA/NCF