Children’s Justice Act
Program Overview
Program Instruction Review
March 26, 2013
Catherine Nolan, Division Director
Melissa Lim Brodowski, Child Welfare Program Specialist
Office on Child Abuse and Neglect
Children’s Bureau, Washington, DC
Overview of Presentation
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Legislation and History
Program Overview
Use of Funds/Distribution of Funds
Authorized Activities
Application Submission
3-Year Assessment
Task Force
Expenditures and Extensions
Program Monitoring
Technical Assistance
CJA Legislation and History
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Section 107(a) of the Child Abuse Prevention and
Treatment Act (P.L. 111-320), reauthorized in 2010
History
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Since Fiscal Year 2000, $17 million in CJA funds have been made
available annually for distribution to the 50 States, the District of
Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern
Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands.
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Funding comes from the Crime Victims' Fund, which collects fines
and fees charged to persons convicted of Federal crimes. The Fund
is administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Victims
of Crime and the grants are awarded by the Administration on
Children, Youth and Families.
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States are funded based on a Formula with a base amount and taking
into account the child population in each State.
CJA Program Overview
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In accordance with Section 107(a) of CAPTA, grants awarded are to be used to
develop, establish and operate programs designed to improve:
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the assessment and investigation of suspected child abuse and neglect cases,
including cases of suspected child sexual abuse and exploitation, in a manner
that limits additional trauma to the child and the child's family;
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the assessment and investigation of cases of suspected child abuse-related
fatalities and suspected child neglect-related fatalities;
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the investigation and prosecution of cases of child abuse and neglect,
including child sexual abuse and exploitation; and
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the assessment and investigation of cases involving children with disabilities
or serious health-related problems who are suspected victims of child abuse
or neglect.
CJA Program Overview
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CJA is formula grant program. Every year a new Program
Instruction is issued that outlines requirements, assessment
needs, application submission/due dates and tentative funding
amounts.
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To be eligible, States must be eligible for the CAPTA Basic
State Grant and are required to establish and maintain a
multidisciplinary Task Force on children's justice.
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States must apply for the funds and meet certain eligibility
requirements, including receipt of the CAPTA State Grant and
establishment of a CJA Task Force as outlined in the
legislation.
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In FY2013, $17 million is available.
Use of Funds
From the Legislation:
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activities to improve the investigative, administrative, and judicial handling of cases of child
abuse and neglect, including child sexual abuse and exploitation, as well as cases involving
suspected child maltreatment related fatalities and cases involving a potential combination of
jurisdictions, such as intrastate, interstate, Federal-State, and State-Tribal, in a manner which
reduces the additional trauma to the child victim and the victim's family and which also
ensures procedural fairness to the accused;
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support of experimental, model, and demonstration programs for testing innovative
approaches and techniques which may improve the prompt and successful resolution of civil
and criminal court proceedings or enhance the effectiveness of judicial and administrative
action in child abuse and neglect cases, particularly child sexual abuse and exploitation cases,
including the enhancement of performance of court appointed attorneys and guardians ad
litem for children, and which also ensure procedural fairness to the accused; and
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reform of State laws, ordinances, regulations, protocols, and procedures to provide
comprehensive protection for children, which may include those children involved in reports
of child abuse or neglect with a potential combination of jurisdictions, such as intrastate,
interstate, Federal-State, and State-Tribal, from child abuse and neglect, including child sexual
abuse and exploitation, while ensuring fairness to all affected persons.
Distribution of Funds
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Funds will be allocated to States based on a formula:
a base amount of $50,000 will be awarded to each
State; an additional amount will be awarded bearing
the same ratio to the total funds remaining as the
number of children under the age of 18 in each State
bears to the total number of children under 18 in all
the States.
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15 percent will be reserved by the Attorney General
for CJA grants to Native American Tribes.
Authorized Activities
Reform State systems and improve the processes by which
States respond to cases of child abuse and neglect,
particularly child sexual abuse and exploitation and cases of
suspected child abuse or neglect related fatalities through:
 Training
 Organizational Support
 Research and Evaluation
 Collaboration Efforts
 Tools and protocol development
 Support of Child Fatality Reviews
 Support of Citizen Reviews
 Coordination with court improvement programs
Application Submission
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All applications are two parts:
1) A program performance report (tasks,
initiatives, and work completed using
funds in the previous year); and
2) An application for proposed activities
(tasks, initiatives, and work to be
completed in the upcoming year).
Application Submission
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A program performance report should focus on the
programming, outputs and outcomes of CJA activities and
projects for the prior year. Reports should include:
 Clear statement of the needs of the State as identified
by the Task Force;
 Activities, outputs and outcomes as they relate to the
needs identified, including implementation of
evidence based trainings and programming; and
 Results of evaluation work of the CJA projects (both
process and program evaluations including program
efforts to address child well being).
Application Submission
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The application should include a description of the
activities to be supported with CJA grant funds:
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Project goals and objectives
Approaches to be used
A clear budget for each activity
Evaluation efforts related to the project and
The extent to which the activity contributes to the reform of
State systems handling cases of child abuse and neglect/and
furthers implementation of State Task force
recommendations.
Application Submission
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The Governor’s letter
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Include each of the assurances listed in the PI in the letter
Update and check all dates on the letter
Avoid needing any edits to the letter since it is often difficult to get
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Provide certifications as required.
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Submit excess funds letters.
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Submit by May 31, 2013. Emailed applications must include a
scanned version of the signed signature page(s).
3-Year Assessment
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Assessments are conducted in 3-year intervals and must include:
 REVIEW of the current system
 INDENTIFICATION and EVALUATION of areas needing
reform
 RECOMMENDATIONS for improvement to the current system
Assessment documentation must include that a study was conducted
and the method in which it was conducted.
 The documentation must identify all Task Force recommendations
adopted and/or comparable alternatives designed to carry out the
purposes of the Act; describe the actions yet to be taken and
timetables for implementing each recommendation or comparable
alternative; or be sufficient to support a showing that the State is
making substantial progress in adopting Task Force
recommendations or comparable alternatives.
3-Year Assessment
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Assessment documentation must show that the Task
Force has comprehensively:
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reviewed and evaluated State investigative, administrative and both civil and criminal
judicial handling of cases of child abuse and neglect, including child sexual abuse and
exploitation, as well as cases involving suspected child maltreatment related fatalities
and cases involving a potential combination of jurisdictions, such as intrastate,
interstate, Federal-State, and State-Tribal; and
made policy and training recommendations in each of the categories described in
Section 107(e) of the Act. The task force may make such other comments and
recommendations as are considered relevant and useful.
States which have not previously established eligibility
and States which are required to submit a 3-Year
Assessment with their application must provide:
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A Statement of the Task Force's function/purpose
The date the Task Force was established
Task Force
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Purpose: To provide systems improvement through
interdisciplinary and interagency collaboration.
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The legislatively-required Task Force is critical to the
CJA program -- it drives the work of the program
through the initial and 3-year assessment and its
recommendations.
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The 2010 CAPTA Reauthorization made updates to
the Task Force member requirements.
Members of the Task Force
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Law Enforcement Community
Criminal Court Judge(s)
Civil Court Judge(s)
Prosecuting Attorney(s)
Defense Attorney(s)
Child Advocate(s) (Attorney(s)
for Children)
Court Appointed Special
Advocate Representative(s),
where such programs are in
operation
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Health Professional(s)
Mental Health Professional(s)
Child Protective Service
Agencies
Individual(s) experienced in
working with children with
disabilities
Parents and Representative of
Parent Groups
Adult former victims of child
abuse and or neglect; and
Individuals experienced in
working with homeless children
and youths (as defined in
section 725 of the McKinneyVento Homeless Assistance Act
(42 U.S.C. 11434a)).
Expenditures and Extensions
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States must obligate all FY 2011 CJA funds by
September 30, 2013.
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States must liquidate all FY 2011 CJA funds by
December 31, 2013.
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No-cost extension requests will not be approved
except in the event of a natural occurrence of
destruction or distress. These circumstances are
defined in 45 CFR § 95.22.
Program Monitoring
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Federal Project Officer provides ongoing
monitoring and reviews and approves applications
for funding
Grants Office provides fiscal oversight
Annual Grantees meeting
Ongoing communication (email, phone, listserv)
NRCCPS provides training and technical assistance
and works Federal Staff to address the needs of the
State
NRCCPS
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The National Resource Center for Child Protective
Services is one of 10 national resource centers
funded by the Children’s Bureau to provide free
onsite training and technical assistance to State and
Tribal child welfare agencies. CJA support:
Newsletters
 Webinars
 Meeting support
 Material Development
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Contacts: Kathy Simms and Theresa Costello -http://nrccps.org/home
Contact Information
Melissa Lim Brodowski
Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, Children’s Bureau
Phone: 202-205-2629
Email: melissa.brodowski@acf.hhs.gov
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Christie Matlock
Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, Children’s Bureau
Phone: 202-205-7970
Email: christie.matlock@acf.hhs.gov
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