Half-day Morning Training on October 23, 2012 at N.J. Law Center

Each year thousands of children in New Jersey are placed in out-of-home care. They are removed from their homes due to neglect, abuse and less frequently, as a result of voluntary commitment.

The New Jersey State Child Placement Advisory Council (CPAC) is comprised of 15 volunteer representatives from local Child Placement Review Boards. These boards bring citizens of diverse backgrounds and perspectives together to focus on the needs of individual children in placement. CPR Boards work at the county level and are made up of trained volunteers who advocate for out-of-home children by reviewing Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) case files, asking questions and making recommendations 45 days after a child is placed. A copy of their completed case review form is then forwarded to the local Family Court judge.

CPAC operates under legal mandates that include:

• Advising the N.J. State Supreme Court with respect to the rules governing the duties and practices of review boards.
• Reviewing the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) policies, practices and procedures with respect to the placement of children outside their homes.
• Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the Child Placement Review Act (CPRA).
• Advising the N.J. State Supreme Court with respect to the establishment of guidelines and procedures for the training of Child Placement Review Board members.
• Making an annual report to the N.J. State Supreme Court, the governor, and the legislature on the effectiveness of the implementation of the Child Placement Review Act.

This site was created to provide the CPAC Executive Board, CPAC standing committees, CPR Board volunteers and other New Jersey child advocates and partners with information and resources.

Feel free to explore our site and consider joining the nearly 350 court-appointed volunteers who actively participate on one or more of the 48 CPR Boards operating in New Jersey. If you are a CPR Board member who would like to become more involved in child placement, consider working at the state level as a member of CPAC.