In 2008, Second Substitute House Bill (2SHB) 2822 established the Family and Juvenile Court Improvement Program (FJCIP). It provided funds for the initial efforts to reform and enhance court systems that manage family and juvenile cases. The Legislature wanted to improve the dependency system in Washington State. In 2022, the Legislature provided funding to the AOC for a Statewide FJCIP team to better monitor and support compliance and assess the impact of the best practice requirements for effective dependency courts. The FJCIP Statewide team is working on implementation of these practices. Check back frequently for updates to our program and shared content.
Watch a highlight video of the program here! Family and Juvenile Court Improvement Program (FJCIP) Core Component Video Clip (youtube.com)
The state provides FJCIP funding to support sixteen Superior Courts (highlighted in purple) in implementing enhancements to their family and juvenile court operations. Check back to see what counties we expand to!
Each participating court has a dedicated FJCIP Coordinator who facilitates system improvement efforts and supports system learning by gathering and analyzing data which is shared with local dependency stakeholder groups. FJCIP has proven to be an excellent laboratory for innovative ideas and implementation of practices.
Learn more about what happened in FJCIP for each year:
Mission
The mission of the FJCIP Statewide Team is to expand the capacity of local FJCIP court communities to transform systems and produce better outcomes for children and families. We strive to foster learning communities across systems to create a culture of system change within the state of Washington.
Vision
A network of courts that work collaboratively across systems to develop and assess the effectiveness of local innovations, translating what works into statewide programs to improve outcomes for all families.
Values
Innovation & Continuous Learning
Accountability
Equity/Cultural Humility
Communities & Families
Inclusion & Representation
Sustainability
Leadership, Empowerment, & Integrity
Core Components
The eight Core Components of the Family and Juvenile Court Improvement Program approach are key to creating learning communities in dependency court systems. The Core Components work together to guide courts on what to strive to implement for their local programs. Click on each Core Component to learn more.
Dedicated Judicial Leadership
Judicial and Cross System Learning
FJCIP Local Coordinator
Court Commitment to Continuous Quality Improvement
Community of Practice and Peer Learning
Cross System Collaboration
Create a Culture of System Change
Trauma-Responsive Support
The FJCIP strikes a balance between providing a dedicated court coordinator to help convene local stakeholders to work on issues in their communities, and informing these efforts with data, research, and the experience of peer courts across the state. The graphic illustrates these basics of the FJCIP Courts while illustrating some of the innovative ideas of the local court programs.