Family Drug Courts

Family Drug Courts Family drug courts (FDCs) are specialized courts within the justice system, which handle cases of child abuse and neglect that involve substance use by the child’s parents or guardians (Brook et al. 2015; Chuang et al. 2012). FDCs are one method of addressing parental substance use disorders and parenting issues within the court and child welfare systems, using a collaborative, family-centered approach (Children and Family Futures 2015). Also called family treatment courts, family treatment drug courts, or family dependency treatment courts, FDCs operate as alternatives to traditional family courts or dependency courts and work to balance the rights and needs of both parents and children (Brook et al. 2015). The overall goal of FDCs is to reduce child maltreatment by treating parents’ underlying substance use disorders through a coordinated and collaborative approach that involves a multitude of agencies and professionals such as the court system, child protective services (CPS) or child welfare, substance use treatment providers, and the attorneys involved in the case (Pach 2008; Gifford et al. 2014).