Children’s Justice Conference
As the largest child welfare related conference in the Pacific Northwest, the Children’s Justice Conference (CJC) provides professionals from multiple disciplines a unique opportunity to receive core and advanced training and skill development in the identification, investigation, and treatment of child maltreatment.
About Children’s Justice Task Force (CJTF)
Washington State’s Children’s Justice Task Force (CJTF) was created in October 1987, pursuant to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. The mission of the interdisciplinary task force is to provide recommendations to Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) in the development, establishment, and operation of programs that promote safety and protection of children by improving:
- Legislative, administrative, and judicial handling of child abuse and neglect cases, (particularly sexual abuse and exploitation), in a manner which limits additional trauma to the child victim.
- Handling of child fatality cases in which child abuse or neglect is suspected.
- Handling of cases involving children with disabilities or serious health related problems who are victims of abuse or neglect.
Task Force Members/Advisors
2024 CJTF Members:
- Tarassa Froberg, Grant Administration
- Brett Ballew, Parent Representative
- Jeffrey Bassett, Superior Court Judge
- Patrick Donahue, Foster Child Educational Liaison
- Teresa Forshag, Health Representative
- Darcy Johnson, Children Disability Advocate
- Larraine Lynch, Mental Health Representative
- Lisa Lydon, Former Assistant General Attorney (AAG)
- Joy McClendon, Special Ed Teacher
- Ryan Murrey, Child Victim Advocate
- John Nowels, Law Enforcement
- Lorraine Parlange, Tribal Attorney
- Ricki Peone, Indian Child Welfare Act Specialist
- Eric Richey, Prosecutor
- Krystal Ruiz, Court Appointed Special Advocate
- Kevin Stewart, Court Commissioner
- Emily Stochel, Former Foster Child
- Karen Winston, Former Child Advocate
- Bruce Wood, DCYF Representative
- Megan Winder, JD – Prosecuting Attorney
- Bailey Zydek – Defense Attorney
2024 CJTF Advisors:
- Karen Kirk-Brockman, Former Court Appointed Special Advocate
- Drew Pugsley, Assistant General Attorney (AAG) Representative to DCYF
- Carissa Greenburg, (Backup Advisor) Assistant General Attorney (AAG) Representative to DCYF
- Andrew Miller, Prosecuting Attorney
Task Force Achievements
- Pursuant to its recommendations and the assistance received from the National Center, the Washington State CJTF has been involved in numerous projects and activities since its initial grant. These include:
- Annual Children’s Justice Conferences (1993-present). In 2014, the annual conference was held in Spokane, Washington, in the eastern part of the state with very good attendance and with the opportunity to include jurisdictions, including tribal jurisdictions in that part of the state.
- Funded Columbia Legal Services’ Homeless Youth Advocacy project from 2012-2014. This project sought to improve the judicial, administrative and investigative handling of child abuse and neglect cases, status offense cases and juvenile offender cases that involve homeless children.
- Funded the “Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Protocol (Project Respect) for 2011-2013, a project that was coordinated between the Center for Children and Youth Justice and Youth Care to develop statewide protocols incorporating best practices for responding to and handling cases involving prostituted youth.
- Funded the “Sunnyside’s Promise” Gang Related Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking project in 2010-2013 to provide collaborative resources for community professionals in working with youth who are exploited by gangs in a rural area of Washington State.
- Funded and reviewed the “Take 5” Project – “Trauma Affects Kids Everywhere” a program to help foster parents promote resilience in abused children (2009-2011).
Surveyed stakeholders, including tribal representatives, in the child welfare system to obtain recommendations for future CJTF projects (2008). - Developed and implemented the First Responders’ Training and Protocols for Serious Physical Abuse and Child Fatality Cases for six regional trainings, in partnership with the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (2005-2007).
- Established a web page at the University of Washington School of Law Child Advocacy Center (2002-2004).
- Selected and funded the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys to conduct videotape pilot projects for child victim interviews (2003-2005).
- Contracted with the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission to provide trainings entitled “Effective Team Investigations of Child Abuse Cases – Protocol Implementation and Interdisciplinary Team Trainings (2001-2003).
- Collected evaluations and recommendations from stakeholders statewide to help improve the children’s justice system (1991, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2003, and 2006).
- Development of a model response project aimed at the handling of child sexual abuse/exploitation cases (1989-1991, 1991-1993).
- Conducted an analysis and review of the system, and considered recommendations for serving children in three specific areas of child abuse/neglect and exploitation to ensure that cases handled reduced additional trauma to the child victim, ensured that procedural fairness to the accused and to all affected persons was provided (1991, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2003, and 2006, 2009 and 2012).
- Established a contract with a third party evaluator for a comprehensive review of pilot sites for the model response project.
- Development of a training video for mandatory reporters that was produced and distributed statewide (1999-2001).
- Financially supported the Unified Family Court project, a statewide effort to assist families through the family court system (1999-2000).
- Provided funding to mini-grants targeting the resolution of child abuse issues in San Juan, Benton/Franklin, Island, Pierce and Snohomish counties (2000-2001).
- Funding was provided to establish and implement the Child and Youth Advocacy Center at the University of Washington Law School (1996-1999).
- Secured the unlimited copyright authority for two videos, “The Child as a Witness” and “Unspeakable Acts”, sent to all Juvenile court judges.
- Provided outreach, training and technical assistance to 28 federally recognized and nine Washington State recognized Indian Tribes.
Lee Ann Miller Award
Lee Ann Miller was the lead counsel for Children’s Administration at the time of her death from cancer at age 47 in early 1998. She was a recognized expert in juvenile law and the field of child advocacy. In 1979, she joined the Attorney General’s Office and shortly became lead counsel to Administration for Children, Youth and Family, the predecessor of the Children’s Administration. She was known not only for her professionalism and compassion, but also for her sense of humor and captivating presence.
In her memory, the Lee Ann Miller Award is presented to the individual and the group or program that has made the greatest impact and/or contribution in furthering the goals of the Children’s Justice Act.
Individual Awards
2019 Lisa Johnson
2018 Mary F. Li
2017 Richard Stapp
2016 Commissioner Thurman W. Lowans
2015 Mary Meinig
2014 Louise Gustafson
2013 Cheryl Wolfe
2012 Dr. Naomi Sugar
2011 Maria Vera
2010 Tim Jaasko-Fisher, Director, Court Improvement Training Academy
2009 Steve Hassett – Senior Counsel, Olympia, WA
2008 Dr. Alan Hendrickson
2007 Rep. Ruth Kagi
2006 Jim Theofelis – Executive Director, Mockingbird Society
2005 Mary Ann Murphy. Exec. Dir. – Partners w/Families & Children
2004 Joanne Moore, Director – Office of Public Defense, Olympia, WA
2003 Ken Feldman, MD – Children’s Hospital
2002 Lucy Berliner, Director – Harborview Center for SW
2001 Jon and Judge Bobbe Bridge
2000 Judge Jim Doerty
Group Awards
2019 Joint Base Lewis-McChord Special Victim Prosecution Team
2018 Pierce County Safe Babies Court Team
2017 Brigid Collins Family Support Center
2016 Incarcerated Parents Project and Incarcerated Mothers Advocacy Project
2015 Spokane County Parent4Parents Project
2014 UW, Court Improvement Training Academy
2013 The Washington State Parent Advocacy Network – Seattle, WA
2012 Bikers Against Child Abuse
2011 Spokane Drug Endangered Children Team
2010 Spokane Police Department, Sexual Exploitation Units
2009 Camas Path Behavioral Health and Social Services
2008 Team Child
2007 Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery
2006 Washington State Association of Child Advocacy Centers
2005 Safe Harbor Crisis Nursery – Kennewick, WA
2004 Child Abuse Intervention Center – Vancouver, WA
2003 CASA/GAL Program – Seattle, WA
2002 Benton County Commissioners – Leo Bowman & Claude Oliver
2001 King County Kids Court
2000 Treehouse