Seventeen and a half years ago, Rule 16-204 created five Family Divisions in Maryland – and put the state on a path of family justice system reform that continues to the present day. On June 1, 2015 the University of Baltimore School of Law’s Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts…
By Eliseba Osore, Truancy Court Program Social Worker and Katie Davis, Truancy Court Program Attorney The events of the past few weeks in Baltimore have shined a spotlight on the struggles of many Baltimore residents. While some were surprised by the revelations following Freddie Gray’s death, those of us who work with youth in the Baltimore…
By: Katie Davis, TCP Attorney CFCC’s Truancy Court Program (TCP) has encountered unprecedented numbers of families in Baltimore City who are struggling with unstable housing and homelessness. While there are many challenges for those dealing with homelessness, most families do not realize that they are eligible for certain public benefits, including federally-mandated services for their…
By Maria Iliadis, CFCC Student Fellow 2014-2015 On September 17, 2014, the Center for Families, Children and the Courts (“CFCC”) Student Fellows visited the Family Division of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City located at 111 North Calvert Street in Baltimore. We received a tour from T. Sue German, the Family Division Administrator. The tour…
By Lauren Wood, CFCC Student Fellow 2014-2015 Truancy is a dilemma frequently facing school systems. A violation of compulsory attendance requirements can, in the worst case, lead to significant punitive consequences for a family. What happens, however, when the student exhibiting truant tendencies is a special education student? What kind of special obligations, if any, does…
By David Hornstein, CFCC Student Fellow 2014-2015 The links among poverty, school attendance rates, and delinquency are all intertwined and, when viewed as such, depict a terrifying truth. In America, over 16 million students live below the poverty line, creating a set of circumstances and problems that a large percentage of the population does not…
By Makayla Hanington, CFCC Student Fellow 2014-2015 Drug treatment courts are a source of therapeutic jurisprudence as problem-solving courts. Their purpose is to resolve underlying issues that may be the source of crimes that are being committed with a holistic and big-picture approach. In Baltimore City, the Drug Treatment Court was created in 1994 due…
The University of Baltimore School of Law Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts (CFCC) Truancy Court Program (TCP) team interacts with students of all ages who have unique needs. As we learn more about the students enrolled in the TCP, we often find that the reasons behind their attendance issues…
By Katie Davis, CFCC Truancy Court Program Attorney “I didn’t come to school because my uniform was at my mom’s house and I slept at my dad’s two days last week.” “I was late because I stayed at my cousin’s house and her mom didn’t get us up.” “I overslept because I was staying in…