In 1996, Georgia had more than 16,000 of its children in foster care. Federal and state laws have continued to increase our juvenile courts' responsibilities in these cases. Ensuring a permanent placement for a child can mean long term oversight of a child's case. The child deprivation cases that come through Georgia's juvenile courts are often complex and tragic. The steady rise of drug abuse in our communities has impacted the rising number of child deprivation cases.
Children are often the victims of their parents' inability or unwillingness to deal with addictions.
Many courts have witnessed children suffering terribly at the hands of their parents, and these cases take a toll on all of the court participants. Other courts are frustrated by a lack of resources available to help some parents and children. The Georgia Supreme Court, in recognition of the increased pressures on the State's juvenile courts, began in 1994 to address these problems. The Supreme Court's first effort was directed toward determining whether Georgia should improve its efficiency and practices of handling child abuse and deprivation cases. Also, a determination needed to be made as to whether the legal rights of all participants in these matters were being protected.