Bill Overview
Title: Court Improvement Equity Act
Description: This bill allows the Northern Mariana Islands to access state grant funds for child welfare court improvements in foster care and adoption proceedings under the Court Improvement Program (CIP). Under current law, the Northern Mariana Islands may not receive a CIP grant because the CIP program requires that a participating state or U.S. territory be eligible to operate a Title IV-E program (i.e., be eligible to receive federal payments for the provision of foster care and adoption assistance). This bill allows the Northern Mariana Islands, the only U.S. territory not currently eligible for the Title IV-E program, to participate in the CIP program.
Sponsors: Del. Sablan, Gregorio Kilili Camacho [D-MP-At Large]
Target Audience
Population: Individuals in foster care and adoption proceedings in the Northern Mariana Islands
Estimated Size: 50000
- The bill targets improvements in the court systems of child welfare, specifically focusing on foster care and adoption cases.
- The Court Improvement Program (CIP) is aimed at enhancing judicial processes and bettering outcomes for children in the welfare system.
- The current U.S. territories, except for the Northern Mariana Islands, already benefit from the CIP because they participate in the Title IV-E program.
Reasoning
- The policy is likely to have a significant impact primarily on those directly involved in the foster care and adoption systems of the Northern Mariana Islands.
- It is important to consider that the budget for the policy is quite limited ($75,000 in Year 1 and $750,000 over 10 years), which might restrict the scale of court improvements.
- The majority of the U.S. population will not be directly impacted by this policy as it is specific to the Northern Mariana Islands.
- Residents in the Northern Mariana Islands involved in child welfare are more likely to see changes in wellbeing, particularly those engaging with the courts regularly.
- Despite the limited scope, the improvements in judicial processes could have substantial effects on the welfare outcomes for children and families involved, possibly reducing case times and improving family outcomes.
Simulated Interviews
Family court lawyer (Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands)
Age: 32 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy could greatly improve the speed and fairness of court proceedings for foster care cases.
- More resources could mean better training for judges and staff, which is much needed.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Social worker (Guam)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Not directly impacted, but expects indirect improvements through better communication and processes.
- Hopes for more comprehensive policy extensions in the future for all territories.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Foster parent (Northern Mariana Islands)
Age: 38 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Court delays have been frustrating, any improvement will help.
- Hopeful for smoother transitions and clearer guidelines.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Adoption agency coordinator (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Not directly affected but recognizes the importance of equity across U.S. territories.
- Believes this could set a precedent for other territories to access more resources.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Child Protective Services officer (Northern Mariana Islands)
Age: 54 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Optimistic that more funding will lead to real changes in court efficacy and outcomes for children.
- Has been frustrated with lack of resources for years, sees this as a step in the right direction.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
Legal intern (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 23 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Newer to the field but sees how legal system improvements can make a massive difference.
- Hopeful that this could mean more comprehensive structure for all territories.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Federal policy analyst (Washington D.C.)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Interested in the potential replicable model for future improvements for territories.
- Believes resource allocation, though limited, will set important benchmarks.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Advocate for youth services (Northern Mariana Islands)
Age: 37 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 12.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Sees first-hand the delays and setbacks caused by outdated judicial processes.
- Hopeful that this funding will lead to real, tangible improvements on the ground.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
State attorney (Hawaii)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Believes the policy is fair but sees the need for more substantial support.
- Concerned the impact might be limited due to budget constraints.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
New adoptive parent (Northern Mariana Islands)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Feels overwhelmed by legal processes, so any improvement is welcome.
- Hopes for faster, more transparent interactions with the courts.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $75000 (Low: $50000, High: $100000)
Year 2: $75000 (Low: $50000, High: $100000)
Year 3: $75000 (Low: $50000, High: $100000)
Year 5: $75000 (Low: $50000, High: $100000)
Year 10: $75000 (Low: $50000, High: $100000)
Year 100: $75000 (Low: $50000, High: $100000)
Key Considerations
- The policy is primarily focused on improving judicial processes and has limited direct fiscal impacts on the larger federal budget.
- Costs are relatively modest due to the limited scale of the Northern Mariana Islands.
- This policy represents an equity adjustment rather than a comprehensive new service expansion.