‘‘PART F—COURT TEAMS 
‘‘SEC. 271. COURT TEAMS PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. 
‘‘(a) GRANT AUTHORIZED.—The Administrator shall 
award a grant to a national early childhood development 
organization to— 
‘‘(1) establish a National Court Teams Re-
source Center to— 
‘‘(A) promote the well-being of maltreated 
infants and toddlers and their families (includ-
ing the special problems created by substance 
abuse, particularly methamphetamine abuse); 
‘‘(B) help prevent the recurrence of abuse 
and neglect of children; and 
‘‘(C) promote timely reunification of fami-
lies or other successful permanency outcomes 
for maltreated infants and toddlers in foster 
care; and 
‘‘(2) select, and provide assistance to, local 
Court Teams created to achieve the goals described 
in paragraph (1). 
‘‘(b) GRANT DURATION.—The grant awarded under 
this part shall be for a period of 5 years, and shall be 
renewable at the discretion of the Administrator. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:12 Dec 15, 2006
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6425.IH
H6425
hmoore on PROD1PC68 with BILLS
‘‘SEC. 272. ELIGIBILITY; APPLICATION; SELECTION OF 
GRANTEE. 
‘‘(a) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive the grant 
described in section 271, an entity shall be a national early 
childhood development organization, as defined in section 
276, that has— 
‘‘(1) specific expertise in the development of in-
fants and toddlers; 
‘‘(2) experience in incorporating the expertise 
described in paragraph (1) into the judicial system 
to promote change in the way courts address cases 
involving maltreated infants and toddlers in foster 
care; and 
‘‘(3) the capacity— 
‘‘(A) to establish and maintain the Na-
tional Court Teams Resource Center described 
in section 273; and 
‘‘(B) to support the implementation and 
activities of local Court Teams by providing the 
assistance required under this part. 
‘‘(b) APPLICATION.—An entity desiring to receive the 
grant described in section 271 shall submit an application 
to the Administrator, at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Administrator may re-
quire. Such application shall— 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:12 Dec 15, 2006
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6425.IH
H6425
hmoore on PROD1PC68 with BILLS
‘‘(1) describe the expertise of the entity in in-
fant and toddler development, including any experi-
ence relevant to the ability of the entity to oversee 
the implementation of local Court Teams, and the 
capacity of the entity to provide assistance to local 
Court Teams; 
‘‘(2) include a detailed plan describing how the 
entity will establish and maintain the National Court 
Teams Resource Center, and how the entity will 
carry out the activities of such Center, as described 
in section 273; and 
‘‘(3) explain the process the entity will use to 
select local Court Teams to receive assistance under 
this part, including an assurance that the entity will 
give priority to applications that— 
‘‘(A) demonstrate the commitment of— 
‘‘(i) at least one qualified judge to 
lead the local Court Team and serve as Ju-
dicial Leader of the Court Team; and 
‘‘(ii) community agencies serving mal-
treated infants and toddlers and their fam-
ilies in such jurisdiction to participate in 
the local Court Team; 
‘‘(B) describe the population of maltreated 
infants and toddlers in the community within 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:12 Dec 15, 2006
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6425.IH
H6425
hmoore on PROD1PC68 with BILLS
the jurisdiction of the court over which the 
qualified judge presides, including— 
‘‘(i) any problems contributing to the 
placement of maltreated infants and tod-
dlers under the supervision of the court 
(including the impact of parental substance 
abuse, and particularly methamphetamine 
abuse); and 
‘‘(ii) any challenges faced by the court 
in making decisions that are in the best in-
terests of such maltreated infants and tod-
dlers; 
‘‘(C) describe how the local Court Team 
will carry out the activities required under sec-
tion 274; and 
‘‘(4) demonstrate the ability to meet the all se-
lection criteria, including— 
‘‘(A) special expertise in the developmental 
needs of children three years of age and young-
er; 
‘‘(B) a demonstrated record of providing 
resources to parents and other caregivers re-
garding the healthy growth and development of 
their children; 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:12 Dec 15, 2006
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6425.IH
H6425
hmoore on PROD1PC68 with BILLS
‘‘(C) a demonstrated record of providing 
resources for practitioners in the fields of child 
development, early child care and education, 
family support, pediatrics, child welfare, and 
mental health; 
‘‘(D) extensive knowledge about how expo-
sure to violence (including domestic violence, 
community violence, and child maltreatment) 
influences the growth and development of in-
fants and toddlers; 
‘‘(E) a documented history of collaboration 
with public and private sector groups working 
to improve the lives of maltreated infants and 
toddlers, including collaboration with judges at 
the local level; 
‘‘(F) the capacity to analyze child welfare 
policy at the local, State, and national levels 
and to offer research-based solutions to the 
problems confronting child welfare systems 
across the country; 
‘‘(G) the ability to manage multiple com-
plex national resource centers and related ac-
tivities, including strategic planning, team 
building, infrastructure development, training 
for multidisciplinary professionals at all levels, 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:12 Dec 15, 2006
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6425.IH
H6425
hmoore on PROD1PC68 with BILLS
materials development for multiple audiences in 
a variety of formats, and conference planning 
and delivery at the local, State, regional, and 
national levels; and 
‘‘(5) include any other information the Adminis-
trator may require, including any assurance required 
by the Administrator that the entity, if selected, will 
give special consideration to applications that have a 
significant number of child welfare cases in the ju-
risdiction of the court over which the qualified judge 
presides in which substance abuse, and particularly 
methamphetamine abuse, is involved. 
‘‘(c) SELECTION OF GRANTEE.—In considering grant 
applications under this part, the Administrator shall select 
the national early childhood development organization that 
demonstrates— 
‘‘(1) the greatest ability to satisfy the criteria 
described in subsection (b)(4); and 
‘‘(2) the most extensive experience in address-
ing the needs of abused and maltreated infants and 
toddlers through training and technical assistance 
provided to judges, multidisciplinary professionals 
and community leaders. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:12 Dec 15, 2006
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6425.IH
H6425
hmoore on PROD1PC68 with BILLS
‘‘SEC. 273. NATIONAL COURT TEAMS RESOURCE CENTER. 
‘‘(a) GENERAL
ACTIVITIES.—The national early 
childhood development organization receiving the grant 
authorized under section 271 shall establish and maintain 
a National Court Teams Resource Center, which shall 
carry out the following activities: 
‘‘(1) Develop a process for selecting, and select, 
local Court Teams to receive assistance under this 
part. 
‘‘(2) Develop materials to guide qualified judges 
in the decision-making process regarding maltreated 
infants and toddlers, and to train members of local 
Court Teams and others in the community regarding 
the appropriate care of maltreated infants and tod-
dlers, including the importance of— 
‘‘(A) stable foster care placements; 
‘‘(B) frequent parent-child visitation; 
‘‘(C) reduction of the recurrence of abuse 
and neglect; 
‘‘(D) improving health and well-being; and 
‘‘(E) timely permanent placement. 
‘‘(3) Conduct national meetings and training 
sessions for local Court Teams. 
‘‘(4) Develop a database that shall be— 
‘‘(A) available to each local Court Team to 
track such Court Team’s progress; and 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:12 Dec 15, 2006
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6425.IH
H6425
hmoore on PROD1PC68 with BILLS
‘‘(B) used by the National Court Teams 
Resource Center to facilitate evaluation of the 
local Court Teams receiving assistance under 
this part. 
‘‘(5) Provide information to communities and 
courts around the country seeking to adopt the 
Court Teams approach, including information re-
lated to— 
‘‘(A) the incorporation of knowledge about 
infant and toddler development into the resolu-
tion of cases by judges with jurisdiction over 
children in foster care; and 
‘‘(B) methods to change State and local 
government systems for addressing the needs of 
infants and toddlers in the foster care, and 
their families. 
‘‘(6) Any other activity necessary to provide the 
assistance required under subsection (b). 
‘‘(b) ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL COURT TEAMS.—Assist-
ance provided to local Court Teams by the National Court 
Teams Resource Center shall include— 
‘‘(1) providing direction, coordination, and over-
sight of the implementation of local Court Teams, as 
needed; 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:12 Dec 15, 2006
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6425.IH
H6425
hmoore on PROD1PC68 with BILLS
‘‘(2) providing a Local Community Coordinator 
for each local Court Team, who shall— 
‘‘(A) be selected by the National Court 
Teams Resource Center after consultation with 
the Judicial Leader of the local Court Team; 
‘‘(B) serve as a resource of child develop-
ment expertise for the local Court Team; and 
‘‘(C) promote coordination (in the jurisdic-
tion of the court over which the Judicial Leader 
presides) between— 
‘‘(i) community agencies that serve 
children; and 
‘‘(ii) providers of resources to support 
maltreated infants and toddlers; and 
‘‘(3) providing training and technical assistance 
to local Court Teams, including— 
‘‘(A) 
individual 
consultation 
on 
site, 
through telephone conversations, and through 
responses to emailed information requests; 
‘‘(B) networking assistance and facilitation 
of telephone conference calls among Judicial 
Leaders and local Court Team members in dif-
ferent jurisdictions to discuss issues of common 
concern; 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:12 Dec 15, 2006
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6425.IH
H6425
hmoore on PROD1PC68 with BILLS
‘‘(C) development and dissemination of 
training materials, including fact sheets, tem-
plate forms, and sample operational materials 
developed by local Court Teams; and 
‘‘(D) training for local Court Teams re-
lated to— 
‘‘(i) the impact of abuse and neglect 
on infants and toddlers; 
‘‘(ii) improved decision-making by 
courts regarding maltreated infants and 
toddlers to reduce the recurrence of abuse 
and neglect and improve developmental 
outcomes; and 
‘‘(4) organizing local training for community 
members of jurisdictions in which local Court Teams 
are located, which shall relate to the particular needs 
of infants and toddlers exposed to maltreatment and 
trauma, including topics such as— 
‘‘(A) general infant and toddler develop-
ment; 
‘‘(B) the impact of abuse and neglect on 
development; 
‘‘(C) a relationship-based mental health 
intervention model for parents and children to-
gether; 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:12 Dec 15, 2006
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6425.IH
H6425
hmoore on PROD1PC68 with BILLS