What is Family Recovery Court?
To reduce substance, use as a key cause of children removed from their homes, Maryland implemented a Family Recovery Court program in 2004 that connects parents to intensive treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) and provides case management and incentives.
Maryland established its first FRC in Harford County in 2004, followed by Baltimore City in 2005. Today, the state operates five such courts across the state. To standardize best practices and requirements across jurisdictions, the Maryland Office of Problem Solving Courts released Guidelines for Planning and Implementing Family/Dependency Drug Treatment Court Programs in 2017. These guidelines spell out the process of establishing a FRC, including programming details, target populations, the role of the judiciary, policy issues, and funding strategies.