Program Education

Pennsylvania Children’s Roundtable Summit

The Summit is an semi-annual, multidisciplinary conference that brings together juvenile dependency professionals, in teams led by the Dependency Judge and Child Welfare Administrator.

Teams from Pennsylvania’s 67 counties come together to learn about the latest research and best practices with regard to improving child abuse and neglect proceedings and develop a plan for location action.

Pennsylvania Conference for State Trial Judges

The Pennsylvania Conference for State Trial Judges Dependency Session occurs two times per year, once in the spring and once in the summer months. This conference convenes judges from across the Commonwealth and covers a range of topics. Beginning in February 2008, through the Court Improvement Program, a Thursday Dependency workshop was added to the STCJC.

Judicial Dependency Workshop for Juvenile Court Hearing Officers

These educations sessions are developed specifically for Dependency Hearing Officers and are offered bi-annually. The purpose of these sessions are to provide educational opportunities for Hearing Officers to further enhance their understanding of the Dependency System and to assist them in meeting the requirements of Pa.R.J.C.P. 1182(B). The content for these educations sessions are identified through the Pennsylvania State Roundtable and/or are topics that were suggested by the Hearing Officers through the evaluation process. Please see the Hearing Officer Education Committee webpage for additional information on these education sessions.

New Dependency Judge Education Session

This education session specifically designed for new dependency judges is taught by Supreme Court Justice Max Baer and other senior judicial faculty.  The session aims to provide further information regarding the PA Dependency Benchbook, dependency proceedings and judicial leadership both in and out of the courtroom.  It also provides participants with an opportunity to speak directly with the PA Department of Human Services, Deputy Secretary of the Office of Children, Youth and Families.  

Legal Representation Education

This education session provides a foundation for attorneys to increase their understanding of practicing law in the dependency system.  Topics include: mission and guiding principles of the PA dependency system; duties, roles and responsibilities in representing clients; information about parent/child separation; and grief and loss from the family’s perspective.