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Agencies of the Court
Other agencies associated with the Delaware Judiciary include the state
funded agencies:
Child Death, Near Death and Stillbirth Commission
The Child Death, Near Death and Stillbirth Commission was established in 1995 by statute (Section 320 et seq.). The mission is to safeguard Delaware's children by examining
the deaths of children under the age of 18. The Child Death Review Commission has the power to create up to three regional Review Panels, establishes confidentiality for the reviews, and provides the commission with the ability to secure pertinent records.
The primary purpose of reviewing child deaths is the prevention of future child deaths. The review is a retrospective system intended to provide meaningful, prompt, system-wide recommendations in an effort to prevent future deaths and to improve services to children. A child death is considered preventable if one or more interventions might reasonably have averted the child's death.
Child Placement
Review Board
The Board was established by the State of Delaware in 1979 by the Foster
Child Review Act, Title 31, Chapter 38, of the Delaware Code. This board
offers the citizens of Delaware the opportunity and forum for participation
in the State's efforts to provide for care or custody of the State.
Child Placement Review Board (CPRB) reviews are documented in reports
to the Family Court of the State of Delaware.
The Child Placement Review Board serves foster children in the State
of Delaware by involving, trained citizen volunteers in regular reviews
of where these children have been placed, how they are treated, and
how their changing needs are being addressed. This process, conducted
with professionals from the Division of Family Services (DFS), improves
the life of children in foster care because:
- CPRB volunteers advocate for stable placements for children in foster
care.
- CPRB reviews emphasize the search for permanency for each foster
child.
- CPRB training equips each volunteer to ensure children in the State's
care receive all appropriate services.
- CPRB reviews help prevent "foster care drift," in which
a child's changing needs can be unrecognized or overlooked.
- CPRB reviews offer an independent, citizen-based assessment of foster
care in Delaware.
Delaware Nursing Home Residents Quality Assurance Commission
The commission was created in 1999. It is comprised of 12 members who work closely with reviewing policies and laws to implement changes/improvements for Delaware nursing home residents. DNHRQAC’s mission is to monitor Delaware’s quality assurance system for nursing home residents in both privately operated and state operated facilities so that complaints of abuse, neglect mistreatment, financial exploitation and other complaints are responded to in a timely manner so as to ensure the health and safety of nursing home residents.
Key objectives:
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Examine the policies and procedures and evaluate the effectiveness of the quality assurance system for nursing home residents.
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Monitor data and analyze trends in the quality of care and life of individuals receiving long-term care in Delaware.
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Review and make recommendations to the Governor, Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services and General Assembly concerning the quality assurance system and improvements to the overall quality of life and care of nursing home residents.
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Protect the privacy of nursing home residents.
Office
of the Child Advocate
The General Assembly declares that the welfare of the children of
this State shall be safeguarded by the establishing of an Office of
the Child Advocate, with a Child Advocate who shall serve as Executive
Director of the Child Protection Accountability Commission. The Advocate
shall also coordinate efforts on behalf of children; work with advocacy
groups; promote system reform; recommend changes in law, procedure and
policy necessary to enhance the protection of Delaware's children; and
to implement and coordinate a program providing legal representation
on behalf of a child. In order to effectuate these goals, the Child
Advocate shall be an attorney duly licensed to practice law in Delaware.
Goals of the Office of the Child Advocate are to:
- Ensure that every child's voice is heard in every court proceeding
which affects their life.
- Ensure that every player in the child protection system has the
necessary education and training to put a child's safety and well-being
above all else: children are not personal property ... they are human
beings.
- Ensure that Delaware's child welfare laws reflect the needs of our
children and are a model for the nation
Law Libraries
New Castle County:
New Castle County Courthouse
Suite 2500
500 King Street
Wilmington, DE 19801
302-255-0847 |
Kent County
Kent County Law Library
O'Brien Building
Dover, DE 19901
302-739-5467 |
Sussex County
Sussex County Law Library
Courthouse Annex
5 E. Pine Street
Georgetown ,
DE
19947
302-856-5235 |
Public Guardian
There is established the office of the Public Guardian. The Court of
Chancery Chancellor shall appoint the Public Guardian, who shall serve
at the Chancellor's pleasure. The Public Guardian, when appointed as
guardian by Court order, shall serve as a guardian of the person or
property, or both, of persons who are disabled for reasons other than
minority.
Victims' Compensation Assistance Program
On July 18, 1974, the Governor of the State of Delaware approved legislation
“to serve the public by compensating those who are victims of crimes
committed within the State of Delaware.” This service is known
as the Delaware Victims' Compensation Assistance Program. The agency was founded
to provide financial assistance as a means of meeting the additional
hardships imposed upon the innocent victims of certain crimes and the
families and dependents of those victims.
Violent crime can have a devastating effect on victims and their family
members. Many victims suffer physically and emotionally as a result
of violent crime and others are unable to return to work due to the
injuries they sustained or the emotional turmoil. The most serious crimes,
resulting in death, devastate the family of the victim and it sometimes
takes years before they can begin to live their lives again in a normal
manner.
The Victims' Compensation Assistance Program was established to alleviate some
of the financial burdens that these crimes leave on all victims. Compensation
is available for medical/dental costs, funeral expenses, mental health
counseling, and recently the Board has expanded their ability to compensate
victims of domestic violence.
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