FCCS Collaboration in Courtroom Key Component to Keeping Kids Safer

Spending nearly 300 hours in the courtroom - or the average time it would take to read 100 books in a single year - the legal team at Franklin County Children Services works closely with partners in the Franklin County Courts to help keep children and teens safer and create positive, lasting change for families.

“All of our work is geared at children’s safety and ultimately helping to increase the functioning of the family unit,” said FCCS Deputy Chief Counsel Julie Murrell, part of the agency’s team of attorneys, legal aides, paralegals, clerks, and court liaisons. 

The department works most often with the judges and magistrates in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Domestic Relations and Juvenile Branch as well as the Probate Court.

And, according to Deputy Chief Counsel Jennifer Himes-Riley, the FCCS legal team is involved from the beginning of a case to custody end, assisting the family and caseworkers in finding the safest plan of care for a child. 

“We really are involved with cases every step of the way,” Ms. Himes-Riley added, stressing that the attorneys work closely with the courts daily to help the legal process move as quickly as possible, sometimes filing thousands of service requests to get a child’s or family’s needs addressed as quickly as possible in the court system.

She points out that a child’s safety will also be the top priority. If ever imminent risk is identified for a child, the legal staff will work with judges through a same-day process to gain emergency custody.

“We’re constantly working behind the scenes to help figure out how we help these children,” Ms. Himes-Riley said. “Whether that’s helping to reunify them as quickly as possible or how we can prevent removal from happening.” 

Over the past year, the FCCS Legal Department worked on more than 5,716 cases, spent more than 288 hours in court, and filed nearly 800 complaints and more than 1,100 legal motions. 

Those numbers include the work with the Probate Court to finalize approximately 125 adoptions each year

“The Probate Court values the partnership we have with Franklin County Children Services,” said Chief Probate Court Magistrate Kelly Green. “Interagency collaboration and communication serve us all with reaching the end goal of protecting children and helping to create forever families.”

And when possible, adds Deputy Chief Counsel Murrell, the agency’s legal experts prioritize finding ways to help families find a shorter pathway through the court system while keeping children safe.

“Our team is assisting them with any necessary supports or services needed to function independently of the agency,” said Ms. Murrell. 

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