Coordinated Efforts
The report recommends that agencies working with children and families in the juvenile justice system should appoint a coordinator for family engagement activities and programs.
FAMILY Comes First provides a framework for examining the important role families can and should play in the juvenile justice system. This document provides an executive summary of findings and recommendations for transforming the juvenile justice system through family engagement.
The juvenile justice system is making progress toward integrating, rather than isolating, families at the individual and system levels. True transformation of the system will occur when families have continual access to support from system stakeholders and peers; are involved in decisions that affect their children, programs and the system; have culturally competent options available; and know their children are prepared for success when they exit the system.