Instrument 3_Parent Court Experience Question 06-02-23 clean
Judicial, Court, and Attorney Measures of Performance (JCAMP): Feedback and Implementation
Instrument 3_Parent Court Experience Question 06-02-23 clean
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Parent Court Experience Question Bank
This question bank was developed to assist sites in designing survey and focus group instruments that will gather information for the JCAMP measures. Questions were developed by the JCAMP research team and by parents with lived experience who were part of the JCAMP expert consultant team.
Using the JCAMP Question Bank
For each category of measurement (i.e., family engagement, due process, high-quality legal representation, safety, and permanency) and associated measures, you will find lists with sample questions, question formats, and suggested response categories that can be used to collect data on the JCAMP measures via survey or focus group methods. Items within a measure are grouped together thematically. For example, several questions under engagement may ask about perception of voice in the process and would be under the Voice and Involvement header. Items are divided into response categories depending on your needs. Unless otherwise indicated, response options are as follows:
Binary response options:
1 = Yes
2 = No
Agree or disagree scale response options:
1 = Strongly disagree
2 = Disagree
3 = Neutral
4 = Agree
5 = Strongly agree
Focus group questions do not have response options.
Family Engagement
1.6 What do judges do to engage parents, children, and youth in hearings?
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Did the judge involve you in hearings?
Did the judge…
speak with you directly?
call you by your name?
Did you get an opportunity to say what you wanted to say?
Did you feel that the judge listened to you?
1.11 Are important issues discussed in hearings?
Binary response options:
Were you given the opportunity to explore or discuss issues of importance to you during hearings?
Did hearings discuss issues that were important to you?
Focus group/open-response options:
What issues do you think are appropriate to be discussed at court, and were they discussed?
1.12 Do parents feel judges engaged them in hearings?
Binary response options:
Do you feel that the judge understands/understood your needs and wishes?
Do you/did you understand what happened during the hearing and what comes next?
Do you/did you feel your questions were answered?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
The judge understands/understood my needs and wishes.
I understand/understood what happened during the hearing and what comes next.
All of my questions were answered.
Voice and Involvement
Binary response options:
Do you/did you feel you had an opportunity to say the things you wanted in your court hearings?
Do you/did you feel that your voice was heard in court?
Do you/did you feel that you were part of decision-making for your case?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
I had an opportunity to say the things I wanted to say in my court hearings.
I feel/felt that my voice was heard at court.
I feel/felt that I was part of decision-making for my case.
Experience
Binary response options:
Do you/did you feel respected during hearings?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
I am/was treated with respect during hearings.
Focus group and open-response options:
Please tell us about your experience attending child welfare hearings.
Probes: What things made it easier to attend court hearings?
What things made it more difficult to attend?
Could anything have improved the court process?
Probes: What went well, and what could be improved?
What kind of support or education were you given to navigate the child welfare court system?
Due Process
2.6–2.8 What do judges (2.6), prosecuting (or agency or state) attorneys (2.7), and parent attorneys (2.8) do to ensure fair hearings?
Explanation of Rights and Court Process
Binary response options:
Does your attorney work with you to ensure you understand all of the documents and what they mean for your case? (2.8)
Did you receive sufficient information and explanation about your case?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
I received sufficient information and explanation about the case.
Focus group and open-response options:
How do you get copies of important documents (e.g., petition, court orders)? (2.7)
At what part of your case did you get information about the allegations against you?
How soon after a hearing do you get important documents such as a copy of court orders? (2.6 / 2.7)
Binary response options:
Were you given the opportunity to object to or challenge the allegations?
Were you given an opportunity to respond to the allegations?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
I was given the opportunity to object to or challenge the allegations.
I was given an opportunity to respond to the allegations.
2.10 Do parents feel they were treated fairly?
Binary response options:
Do you/did you think the judge treats/treated you fairly?
Do you think your attorney treats/treated you fairly?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
The judge treats/treated me fairly at my hearings.
I felt that I was treated fairly in court.
My attorney treats/treated me fairly.
Explanation of Rights and Court Process
Binary response options:
Did your attorney explain your rights clearly?
Do you/did you understand your rights in hearings?
Did your attorney explain the court process clearly?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
My attorney explained my rights clearly.
I understand/understood my rights in hearings.
My attorney explained the court process clearly.
How easy was it to find what you needed in court documents? (easy-to-hard scale)
Focus group and open-response options:
What are/were your rights in hearings?
Binary response options:
Were you able to bring your children to court with you?
Were there family-friendly waiting areas?
Did the court work around your work and school hours?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
The courthouse was easy to navigate.
Focus group and open-response options:
How were you informed of your hearings during your case? Probe: Were there any challenges?
Binary response options:
Were you satisfied with your court experience?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
High-Quality Legal Representation
3.5 How do parent attorneys ensure they provide high-quality legal representation?
Binary response options:
Do you feel that your attorney advocated for the things you wanted or needed?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
My attorney advocated for the things I wanted or needed.
Focus group and open-response options:
How does/did your attorney work with you after hearings to discuss what happened in court?
After hearings, how does your attorney ensure you understand what happened in court?
Did anyone talk with you after court to discuss what happened and next steps?
Probes: Who? How did they do that?
Communication and Treatment (3.5c)
Focus group and open-response options:
Did you have time to talk with your attorney before your first court hearing?
Probe: If no, why not? What barriers did you face?
Were you able to meet with your attorney in between court hearings and important meetings?
Probe: If no, why not? What barriers did you face (what were the challenges)?
Did your attorney attend meetings outside of court?
Did you meet regularly with your attorney?
Probe: If not, what are the barriers to meeting with them?
Were you able to meet with your child’s attorney (or attorney GAL) as much as you would have liked? (3.5c and 3.6c)
3.8 Are parents satisfied with their attorneys’ representation?
Binary response options:
Do you/did you understand the role of your attorney?
Does/did your attorney understand/understood your perspective?
Did you understand the role of your child’s attorney (or attorney GAL)?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
I understand/understood the role of my attorney.
My attorney understood my perspective.
I understand/understood the role of my child’s attorney (or attorney GAL).
Focus group and open-response options:
What is the role of your attorney in your child welfare case?
How did your attorney help you understand the allegations against you?
At what point in your case did you understand the allegations against you?
Binary response options:
Did your attorney ask what you wanted or needed?
Do you/did you understand your attorney’s strategy?
Do you/did you understand how your attorney planned to advocate for you in court?
Do you/did you trust your attorney’s judgment?
Do you believe your attorney moved the case forward strongly in the direction of your wishes?
Did your attorney work with you to ensure the case plan met your needs?
Do you believe your attorney helped you access and receive needed services?
Did your attorney help you get enough time to do the things you needed to reunify with your child(ren)?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
My attorney asked what I wanted or needed.
I understand/understood my attorney’s strategy.
I understand/understood how my attorney planned to advocate for me in court.
I trust(ed) my attorney.
My attorney moved the case forward the way I wanted.
My attorney worked with me to ensure the case plan met my needs.
My attorney helps/helped me access and receive the services I need/needed.
My attorney helped me get enough time to do the things I needed to reunify with my child(ren).
Focus group and open-response options:
What types of support did you get from your attorney after reunification?
How often did you see your child’s attorney (or attorney GAL) after reunification?
Binary response options:
Do you/did you feel your attorney listened to you?
Do you/did you feel your attorney treated you with respect?
Do you/did you feel your attorney prepared you for court?
Were you able to talk with your attorney whenever you wanted?
Do you believe the amount of communication with your attorney is/was sufficient?
Did your attorney connect with you in a compassionate way?
Did you feel like your attorney had your back?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
My attorney listens/listened to me.
My attorney treats/treated me with respect.
My attorney prepares/prepared me for court.
I was able to talk with my attorney whenever I wanted.
The amount of communication with my attorney is/was sufficient.
My attorney connected with me in a compassionate way.
My attorney had my back.
Satisfaction with Representation
Binary response options:
Were you satisfied with your attorney’s representation?
Do you know what to do to make a complaint about your attorney?
Did your child’s attorney (or attorney GAL) have an unbiased approach centered on promoting the child’s best interest where the focus is on helping them reunify with their families when possible?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
I was satisfied with my attorney’s representation.
How satisfied were you with your attorney’s representation? (extremely, very, moderately, slightly, or not at all)
I know what to do if I want to complain about my attorney.
3.10 How do parents, children, and youth feel they were treated by prosecuting (or agency or state) attorneys?
Binary response options:
Do you feel that prosecuting (or agency or state) attorneys treated you fairly?
Do you understand the role of the prosecuting (or agency or state) attorney?
Do you feel that the prosecuting (or agency or state) attorney was appropriately prepared for court?
Do you feel that the prosecuting (or agency or state) attorney made appropriate efforts to advance case goals, including making sure you have access to appropriate family time and services?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
I understand/understood the role of the prosecuting attorney (or agency or state attorney) in the case and whom they are representing.
Focus group and open-response options:
What is the role of the prosecuting attorney (or agency or state attorney) in the case and whom are they representing?
Binary response options:
Do you/did you feel that the prosecuting attorney (or agency or state attorney) is/was appropriately prepared for court?
Do you/did you feel that the prosecuting attorney (or agency or state attorney) presents/presented a fair and accurate picture of your family’s situation?
Do you/did you feel that the prosecuting attorney (or agency or state attorney) is/was cooperative in helping you access and receive needed services?
Do you/did you feel that the prosecuting attorney (or agency or state attorney) is/was cooperative in ensuring you were able to access and receive sufficient family time?
Do you/did you feel that the prosecuting attorney (or agency or state attorney) assists/assisted in eliminating barriers to permanency?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
The prosecuting attorney (or agency or state attorney) was appropriately prepared for court.
The prosecuting attorney (or agency or state attorney) presents/presented a fair and accurate picture of my family’s situation.
The prosecuting attorney (or agency or state attorney) is/was cooperative in helping me access and receive needed services.
The prosecuting attorney (or agency or state attorney) is/was cooperative in ensuring I was able to access and receive sufficient family time.
The prosecuting attorney (or agency or state attorney) assists/assisted in eliminating barriers to permanency.
Binary response options:
Do you/did you feel that the prosecuting attorney (or agency or state attorney) treats/treated you with respect?
Do you/did you feel that the prosecuting attorney (or agency or state attorney) listens/listened to your attorney (or attorney GAL)?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
The prosecuting attorney (or agency or state attorney) treats/treated me with respect.
The prosecuting attorney (or agency or state attorney) listens/listened to my attorney (or attorney GAL).
Safety
4.10 Do parents understand the safety threats to the child and how those led to the child’s removal?
Binary response options:
Do you understand why the agency thought your child(ren) were unsafe in your home?
Do you understand the safety issues that led to your child welfare case?
Was it clear to you why your child was removed from your care?
Do you feel that the allegations against you justified the removal?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
I understand why the agency thought my child(ren) were unsafe in my home.
I understand the safety issues that led to my child welfare case.
It was clear to me why my child was removed from my care.
I feel the allegations against me justified the removal.
4.11 Do parents understand the conditions for return of the child?
Binary response options:
Do (did) you understand what conditions need to be met for the child to be returned to your care?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
I understand (understood) what conditions needed to be met to have my child(ren) returned.
Focus group and open-response options:
What support did you receive to understand the safety issues?
4.12 Do parents believe judges considered their protective capacities in decision-making regarding removal and return?
Binary response options:
Did the judge talk about your parenting strengths?
Did the judge consider your capacity or ability to protect your child(ren) in making his/her decisions?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
The judge considers the things that I do to protect my child in his/her decisions.
Focus group and open-response options:
How do you define “protective capacity”?
4.13 Do parents feel their voices were heard in safety planning discussions?
Binary response options:
Did the agency listen to you when talking about a plan for the safety of your child(ren)?
Were you allowed to provide input in creating your safety plan?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
I feel that the agency listened to me when we were talking about a plan for the safety of my child(ren).
I was able to provide input in creating the safety plan.
Focus group and open-response options:
What services could have been offered to prevent removal?
Before removal, were services available that could have kept your family together?
Permanency
Practice measures
Were your efforts to resolve safety issues or to reunify your family acknowledged in court? Probe: How?
Were the services ordered relevant to the safety risks?
Were the issues important to you discussed at hearings?
Were you given the opportunity to explore or discuss issues of importance to you during your hearings?
Were your efforts to resolve safety issues or to reunify your family acknowledged in court? Probe: How? In what ways and by whom?
Were efforts made at every hearing to move the case forward?
After the case plan has been established, how is progress discussed in hearings? Probes: Does discussion include barriers to achieving permanency? Concrete steps to achieving permanency?
Is discussion in hearings helpful in moving toward permanency?
Do the hearings discuss why the child cannot be returned home right now?
For TPR cases: Was your child in a permanent placement when a TPR was filed?
5.18 Do parents feel their voices were heard in permanency planning discussions?
Binary response options:
Do you feel your voice is/was heard in permanency decisions?
Do you feel you had an opportunity to share your views in permanency planning discussions?
Were you able to contribute permanency options for your child? Probe: Were they pursued?
Were you asked to identify placements? Probe: Were they pursued?
Does your attorney advocate/ask for reunification in hearings?
Do you feel you were involved in case planning?
Were you given the opportunity to bring up concerns/challenges about your case plan? Probe: Can you tell us more/give examples?
Were you allowed input in creating your case plan? Probe: In what ways?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
My voice is/was heard in permanency decisions.
I feel that others listened to me when we were discussing permanency for my child.
I had an opportunity to share my views during hearings.
I had a say in the outcomes for my child(ren).
My attorney advocates/asks for reunification in hearings.
I felt that I was involved in making the plan for my case.
I am/was involved in case planning.
I had input in creating my case plan.
Binary response options:
Was the strength of the parent–child bond assessed and taken into consideration during the permanency process?
For TPR cases: Was the bond with your child considered when a TPR was filed?
Probes: Was a bonding study offered? Did you agree with the outcome? Did the court acknowledge the outcome?
Did being involved in the system help you gain tools to lead a healthier, more stable, and successful life?
Probe: Can you tell us more about that? Give us some examples?
Did being involved in the system help you gain the tools needed to become a better parent?
Probe: Can you tell us more about that? Give us some examples?
5.19 Do parents understand what is required of them and the steps needed to have their child returned?
Binary response options:
Did you/do you understand what is required of you and the steps needed to have your child(ren) returned?
Do you know what you need to do to get your child(ren) back?
Do you understand what you need to do to get your child returned to you?
Did you understand the allegations against you and how to resolve them?
Do you/did you understand what must be done to resolve the case?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
I understand/understood what is/was required of me and the steps needed to have my child(ren) returned.
I know what I need to do to get my child(ren) back.
I understand what I need to do to get my child(ren) returned to me.
I understand/understood the allegations against me and how to resolve them.
I understand/understood what must be done to resolve the case.
Focus group and open-response options:
What is your understanding of permanency? Probe: What does that term mean to you?
Were the requirements and expectations for reunification discussed at every hearing?
5.20 Do parents feel services met their needs and assisted them in reunification?
Binary response options:
Did you/do you feel the services met your needs and assisted you in reunification?
After reunification: Did you ask for any specific services or support after reunification? Probe: If yes, what services or support?
After reunification: After your child returned home, did additional discussions about safety occur? Probe: If yes, what were those discussions like?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
I feel/felt that services meet/met my needs and assist/assisted me in reunification.
The services offered to me were helpful.
Focus group and open-response options:
After reunification: What services were offered to you after reunification? Probe: Were you assisted to secure childcare after reunification? Were you offered respite support?
5.21 Do parents feel they were able to engage in meaningful family time?
Binary response options:
Were you allowed community visits?
Are you/were you able to engage in meaningful family time?
Did you have sufficient time to visit with your child(ren)?
Were you satisfied with the amount of visitation ordered?
Were the frequency, duration, and restriction level of your visitation conducive to maintain your bond with your child?
Does/did your attorney advocate ask for more/better family time?
Agree or disagree scale response options:
I am/was able to engage in meaningful family time.
I had sufficient time to visit with my children.
My attorney advocates/asks for more/better family time.
Drop-down menu:
How often were your court-ordered visits?
Examples: one time per week, two times per week
What was the restriction level of your court-ordered visits?
Examples: unsupervised, supervised
What was the duration of your court-ordered visits?
Examples: less than 1 hour, 1 to 2 hours.
Focus group and open-response options:
What did your visitation look like? Probes: Were they always in the same place? What were the frequency, duration, and level of restriction?
JCAMP Parent Experience
Question Bank 
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| Author | Anne Fromknecht |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2023-10-30 |
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