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Barton Child Law and Policy Center Newsletter |
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Reminder: Hearing on the Child Protection and Public Safety Act, September 30, 2010
The Senate Judiciary Committee will continue its discussion of the Child Protection and Public Safety Act ("the Act") in a hearing scheduled for September 30 that will focus on the juvenile justice provisions of the Act. The Act, which was initially introduced in 2009 as SB 292, would completely revise the Georgia Code's juvenile court provisions, which govern how our state responds to children and their families in cases of abuse, neglect, violations of criminal law by children, and other circumstances requiring court intervention. The Act aims to reorganize the O.C.G.A. Title 15, Chapter 11 for ease of understanding and application, to modernize substantive provisions to reflect advances in research and practice, and to bring Georgia into full compliance with federal laws applicable to juvenile court proceedings. The Act's lead sponsor is Senator Bill Hamrick (R-Carrolton). Although the Act did not pass in the 2010 legislative session, efforts to move the Act toward passage next session continue through an ongoing series of legislative hearings.
One of the improvements the Act would make to the juvenile code would be to reorganize it by subject matter. Thus, the bill is divided into 12 separate Articles, each dealing with a particular area of juvenile law. So far, the Senate Judiciary Committee has comprehensively reviewed Articles 1-6. The newly scheduled hearing will focus on Article 7, which governs delinquency cases. The hearing will be held on Thursday, September 30th from 2-4pm in room 450 of the Capitol.
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Georgia Child Welfare Legal Academy, October 8, 2010
Our next Georgia Child Welfare Legal Academy is scheduled for Friday October 8, 2010 from 2:30 until 4:45 p.m. in room 5E of Gambrell Hall at Emory University School of Law. Visiting Scholars in Practice Andrew Barclay of Fostering Court Improvement, Isabel Blanco of the Dept. of Family & Children Services, and Christopher Church of the Supreme Court of Georgia's Committee on Justice for Children will discuss The State of Georgia's Changing Child Welfare Environment" through the lens of the Child and Family Services Review (CFSR). The CFSR is the federal government's program to monitor state compliance with federal child welfare requirements. Our speakers will examine Georgia's performance on the CFSR from a historical perspective, beginning with the tragic death of Terrell Peterson, throughout the Kenny A. lawsuit, and into the birth of family preservation practices. Seating is limited. Advanced registration is strongly encouraged. The registration fee for all participants is $10 and includes materials, parking in the hospital visitor parking deck, and light refreshments. Register online www.regonline.com/CFSR. For further information, contact Sherry McPeeks at 404.712.4643 or smcpeek@emory.edu. CLE credit: 2.0 regular CLE credits will be offered for this program pending approval from the State Bar of Georgia for an additional fee of $10.00 payable by cash or check at the door.Please make checks payable to Emory University.
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Step Up for Kids Day, October 4, 2010
The Barton Child Law and Policy Center is proud to be a co-sponsor of the annual Step Up for Kids Day, organized by our partners at Voices for Georgia's Children. This year, the event will be held at Sheltering Arms Early Education and Family Center (385 Centennial Olympic Park Drive) on October 4, 2010, from 10:00-11:00 a.m. and will feature speakers Penelope McPhee and Representative Alisha Thomas Morgan. Click here to register for this event.
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Registration Open for Upcoming Conferences
Additionally, the Emory Public Interest Committee (EPIC) will host its seventh annual conference, Next Door, but Worlds Apart: Conversations about Poverty in Metro Atlanta, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, at Emory Law School. The conference will highlight six historically impoverished neighborhoods in and around Atlanta, identifying specific problems the communities face and solutions that have effected positive change in these areas.
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Quick Links...
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