Safe Babies Court pilot program off to promising start in NC

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Court Can Be Terrifying for Parents

Court can be terrifying, especially for parents who are worried they’re at risk of losing their children.

J.H. Corpening II, the Chief District Court Judge for New Hanover and Pender Counties, knows this. He considers himself a trauma-informed judge, meaning he brings an empathetic perspective that takes into account the past negative experiences of the people who appear in his courtroom.

Safe Babies Court: A New Approach to Child Welfare

In New Hanover, Corpening is championing Safe Babies Court, a new specialty court in Wilmington that aims to reduce the time to find permanent homes for infants and toddlers in the child welfare system. Once per month, he meets with families enrolled in the optional program to discuss case plans and placement options.

The main goal of Safe Babies Court is to reach permanency faster, preferably through reunification of a child with its parents. If the court determines that reunification isn’t a viable option, then fallback options include guardianship with a relative or adoption.

Safe Babies Court is a three-year pilot program carried out under the direction of North Carolina’s Administrative Office of the Courts. Enrollment of families in New Hanover, Yancey and Mitchell counties started in July, and AOC plans to expand the program to Durham, Brunswick, McDowell and Rutherford counties.

Creating a Welcoming Environment

He doesn’t wear a robe or clutch a gavel in these meetings. The chairs in the room are rearranged into a circle, and Corpening prefers to sit next to the parents instead of looming over them from the bench. Something as simple as making the courtroom a more welcoming environment can go a long way in rebuilding trust within the child welfare system, he believes.

Hope for the Future of the Court Program

By the end of the pilot program in 2026, Handrahan said she hopes to have quantifiable data to show the North Carolina General Assembly that the program is not only a success, but a good investment for the state. Zero to Three estimates that reducing the time to permanency and increasing reunification rates could save the state hundreds of thousands of dollars in the long term.

Although gathering such data may take at least a year, those working with Safe Baby Court pilot sites are overwhelmingly optimistic that the program will show positive results.

“As we achieve the kind of success that I believe that we will achieve, it will give us an opportunity to go to the General Assembly and say (that) this is right by our kids and it needs to grow beyond pilots,” Corpening said.

“It needs to be statewide, which will give us a chance to transform child welfare work in North Carolina.”

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 1: No Poverty
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable
• SDG 3.2: By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births
• SDG 4.2: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care, and preprimary education so that they are ready for primary education
• SDG 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation
• SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status
• SDG 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for SDG 1.3: Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems
• Indicator for SDG 3.2: Neonatal mortality rate and under-5 mortality rate
• Indicator for SDG 4.2: Proportion of children under 5 years of age who are developmentally on track in health, learning, and psychosocial well-being
• Indicator for SDG 5.2: Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls subjected to physical, sexual, or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months
• Indicator for SDG 10.2: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, by age, sex, and persons with disabilities
• Indicator for SDG 16.3: Proportion of victims of violence in the previous 12 months who reported their victimization to competent authorities or other officially recognized mechanisms

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: carolinapublicpress.org