FOSTER CARE COURT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

STATISTICS/JIS SUBCOMMITTEE 
Subcommittee Members

In its September 1997 assessment report, Improving Court Performance for Abused and Neglected Children, the Foster Care Court Improvement Project (FCCIP) recognized a general lack of meaningful and reliable statistical data and information collected and maintained by the Judiciary. The FCCIP noted that juvenile courts did not collect basic case statistical data and information including the total numbers of open and closed CINA and related TPR and Adoption cases. A lack of uniform terminology and procedure impacted on the court's ability to collect quality statistics and data.  The assessment report also noted that most juvenile courts collected data manually. Only several of the larger courts had implemented automated information systems to better ensure the collection and maintenance of reliable data. However, again the lack of uniformity of terminology and procedure affected data collection statewide. 

The Statistics/JIS subcommittee has been charged with the task of implementing the assessment report's recommendations relevant to the issue of quality statistical data and information.  During the implementation phase of the FCCIP, under the guidance of the Statistics/JIS subcommittee, the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) contracted with a software programmer, Vasudevan Software, Inc. (VSi), to develop and implement the Maryland Automated Judicial Information for Children (MAJIC) program.  On November 1, 1999, MAJIC "went live" in twenty jurisdictions. Although no longer the local jurisdiction's system, MAJIC is still utilized as the aggregate data collection information system.  However, in January 2002 JIS began rolling out the Uniform Court System-Juvenile Module to all but three jurisdictions-Baltimore City, Prince George's County and Montgomery County.  The three jurisdictions that will not be receiving the UCS-Juvenile Module, nor did they receive MAJIC have had long standing automated systems that pre-date MAJIC and/or UCS.  These separate systems have been designed to "wrap" to the MAJIC aggregate database.  Regardless of which information system is used juvenile courts statewide are now required to submit statistical data and information consistent with the MAJIC/ UCS-Juvenile Module.  Therefore, all 24 jurisdictions should be reporting to JIS for a complete and accurate compilation of basic case statistics.

In conjunction with the year long roll out of the UCS-Juvenile Module, in September 2002, the FCCIP held five training sessions at the Maryland Judicial Center on uniform terminology and the UCS-Juvenile Module.  Court personnel from every jurisdiction were invited to the training.

For further information, please contact:

Tracy Watkins-Tribbitt, MSW, Director
Foster Care Court Improvement Project
(410) 260-1272
tracy.watkins-tribbitt@mdcourts.gov

Statistics Oversight Sub-Committee:

Chair:
Hon. Patrick L. Woodward, Court of Special Appeals

Committee Members:
Master Ann R. Sparrough, Circuit Court for Prince George’s County
Master Peter M. Tabatsko, Circuit Court for Carroll County
Karen Anadol, Circuit Court for Prince George’s County
Lisa Anapolsky, Judicial Information Systems, Administrative Office of the Courts
James L. Benton, Circuit Court for Baltimore City
Kim Bivens, Circuit Court for Baltimore City
Carolyn Blagmon, MSW, Department of Human Resources
Tawanda Jones, Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County
Victoria Jones, Circuit Court for Frederick County
Barbara Meiklejohn, Circuit Court for Montgomery County
Marcia Murray, Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County
Austin Phaire, Judicial Information Systems, Administrative Office of the Courts
Wayne Robey, Circuit Court for Howard County
Norma Sappington, Circuit Court for Washington County
Anissa Vila, Circuit Court for Baltimore County
Karin Wilson, Circuit Court for Howard County

Project Staff:
Harry Amarantidis, Database Support Technician, Foster Care Court Improvement Project
Tracy Watkins-Tribbitt, MSW, Director, Foster Care Court Improvement Project
Hope Gary, Esq., Assistant Director, Foster Care Court Improvement Project