Over the past 10 years, Maricopa County’s courts have seen more than 46,000 families reunite with children who were removed from homes officials deemed unsafe.
In the face of increasing evidence that separation can be traumatic for both parents and their children, strategies to work with families to improve the home environment from the inside have gained favor.
“As judges, we are charged with following the law,” said Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Lori Bustamante, who presides over juvenile cases. “It is a balance, though, because the parents have the right to raise their children.”
Over the years, and especially since the beginning of the pandemic, Bustamante said courts have shifted to meeting families where they are.
“A lot of our hearings have become virtual hearings,” she said, “which has been very beneficial to the parents in the sense that they don’t have to get transportation to come to court.”
According to Bustamante, courts have seen fewer cases than ever with strategies like keeping children in the home with approved supervision, siblings or other family members.
“As a result of the lower case loads,” she said, “everybody is able to help focus more on each family.”
Decision makers in these cases aim to prevent removal, minimize separation and reunite families where possible, Bustamante added.
“One of our favorite [types of] hearings is when we are able to dismiss the case because the family has been united, and the family is doing great,” she said.
