League supports recommendations from chief justice

To the editor:

The League of Women Voters of Missouri strongly supports the juvenile justice recommendations of Chief Justice Stephen Limbaugh made in his State of the Judiciary message to the Missouri General Assembly. The league continues to support the following measures to assure a coordinated and efficient system of juvenile justice that would treat all children fairly and act quickly.

The rapid circulation of the best-practices manual to all juvenile-court judges and the setting of time standards for timely processing all abuse and neglect cases would be most helpful.

Qualified relatives should be considered a first-placement option for children who have to be removed from their birth parents. This practice should be continued and implemented statewide.

Cross-training for all juvenile court officers, caseworkers and juvenile judges would clarify the processes and procedures for each constituency.

Rather than appointing a new commission or task force, it would be more efficient to expand existing groups to fulfill the goals of assuring our children receive adequate protection, care and enhancement of their lives from the services and programs offered by our state. The ombudsman group CASA should be utilized in all courts. Permanency planning teams in each judicial jurisdiction might best meet local needs.

DEBORAH WHITE

President

LAURA WORSTELL

Legislative Director

League of Women Voters of Missouri

St. Louis