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History of the Court Improvement Project in North Carolina
 
  • The Federal Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (P.L. 103-66) established a new grant program for states to assess Judicial proceedings in child abuse cases, identify obstacles keeping children in the court system, and to fund court improvements. To learn more about the history of national CIP funding click on: http://www.pal-tech.com/cip/history.cfm.


  • The Supreme Court of North Carolina authorized the Administrative Office of the Courts to apply for and administer federally legislated Court Improvement Funds in 1995. North Carolina has received federal funding each federal fiscal year from 1995 to present.


  • Funds are used for local court improvement projects, conducting assessments, coordinating training, developing and improving technology, and providing technical assistance. Activities in 2007-2008 have been summarized into a detailed report.


  • In FY 2007-2008 over 300 judges, juvenile court clerks, child welfare professionals, child advocates and attorneys for all parties in juvenile abuse/neglect/dependency proceedings participated in state, regional and district level trainings to improve their knowledge of juvenile law, best practices, and court procedures.


  • Evaluations of the North Carolina Court Improvement Project were conducted in 1996, 2001 and 2006. Continual improvement has been identified and implemented based on these evaluations. In addition, NC-CIP has also provided an evaluation of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) in 2008.


  • Since 1995, twenty-three of North Carolina's judicial districts received federal funds for staff to provide case management activities and/or training. These districts focus on implementing best practices in juvenile court including one judge-one family case assignment, child planning conferences, and shared decision-making. Court Improvement funds were also used to implement Family Drug Treatment Courts in four districts. A major use of CIP funds was for the creation of an information system to store data on cases of abuse/neglect/dependency in North Carolina. In 2000, North Carolina received additional funds by way of the Adoption Opportunities grant. The timeline for distribution of CIP funds is as follows:
  History of NC-CIP Fund Awards  
  1997-2000   2000-2003
  District 20-Stanly/Union/Anson/Richmond   District 4-Duplin/Sampson
  District 28-Buncombe   District 8-Greene/Lenoir/Wayne
  District 25-Burke/Caldwell/Catawba   District 10-Wake
  District 13-Bladen/Brunswick/Columbus   District 22- primarily Alexander/Iredell
  District 14-Durham   District 23-primarily Alleghany/Wilkes
  District 19C-Rowan   Office of Indigent Defense Services
  District 25-Burke/Caldwell/Catawba    
 
  Adoption Opportunity Funds-$200,000/year for 3 years    
  2000-2003   2006-FDTCs
  District 15A-Alamance   District 15B-Chatham
  District 18-Guilford   District 20B-Union
      District 27A-Gaston
      District 28-Buncombe
 
  2002   2007-2010
  Court Services Division-1st Jwise funding   District 1-Camden/Chowan/
      Currituck/Dare/Gates/
      Pasquotank/Perquimans
 
  2003-2005   District 15A-Alamance
  Technology Services Division-JWise   District 17B-Stokes/Surry
      District 19A-Cabarrus
 
  2005   District 21-Forsyth
  District 5-New Hanover/Pender   District 22-primarily
      Alexander/Iredell
  District 12-Cumberland    
  District 12-Cumberland    
  District 17A-Rockingham    
 
  
 
   
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