The federally funded Montana Court Improvement Program (CIP) is intended to strengthen court practices for children and families involved in the child welfare system. CIP collaborates with Montana’s child welfare agency, judges, attorneys, tribes, CASA/GAL programs, and other stakeholders to advance the goals of safety, permanency, and well-being. Key projects include improving legal representation, promoting best practices in abuse and neglect cases, and addressing the over-representation of Native American children.
In partnership with the University of Montana's Center for Children, Families and Workforce Development, CIP offers self-paced, stand-alone learning courses free of charge to support professionals, children, and families involved in the child welfare system. You can complete any module according to your needs. Each module includes a short quiz and evaluation, and you will receive a certificate upon successful completion. The assessment is optional if you do not need a certificate.
The following courses are strictly educational and do not provide legal advice; they are designed to enhance understanding of roles and the system in dependency and neglect cases.
Parent’s Guide to Dependency and Neglect Course
https://ccfwd.instructure.com/courses/45
Audience: Parents and legal guardians of children involved in safety concerns or dependency and neglect cases. Open to all.
Overview: This short course provides parents with an overview of their rights and responsibilities in dependency and neglect cases. Topics include court hearings, the roles of participants, court proceedings, ICWA, hearing types, treatment plan requirements, family engagement, permanency, and termination of parental rights. The course is designed to give parents foundational knowledge to better prepare for court and collaborate effectively with their attorney.
Pre-hearing Conference (PHC) Facilitators Course
https://ccfwd.instructure.com/courses/48
Audience: PHC facilitators or neutral court-employed staff who guide structured conversations on child placement, family time, vision, services, and conditions of return. Open to all interested participants.
Overview: This short course provides an overview of the pre-hearing conference process in child welfare cases, including its purpose, procedures, key participants, and impact on outcomes for children and families.
Pre-hearing Conference (PHC) Stakeholders Course
https://ccfwd.instructure.com/courses/49
Audience: PHC stakeholders in dependent and neglect cases, including parents, children (when appropriate), families, legal representatives, child protection specialists, tribal representatives, foster parents, service providers, and law enforcement. Open to all.
Overview: This short course introduces pre-hearing conferences (PHCs), a key part of dependent and neglect cases in Montana. PHCs give parents an early opportunity to meet with attorneys, child protection investigators, reunification specialists, and others, and to participate fully in the process. Neutral, trained facilitators guide discussions focused on identifying what is needed to safely reunify families as quickly as possible, except in the most extreme cases.
Interviewing a Child Client Course
https://ccfwd.instructure.com/courses/50/modules
Audience: Primarily PHC facilitators and children’s attorneys, but open to anyone interested in learning about interviewing children.
Overview: This short course offers a comprehensive overview of child development, including managing and supporting children’s emotions, the impact of trauma on the brain, cultural considerations in supporting children and families, and key skills for interviewing children.
Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Course
https://ccfwd.instructure.com/courses/51
Audience: Professionals, tribal representatives, advocates, and community members supporting Native children and families. Open to all.
Overview: This short course gives general information on the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) in Montana, covering its purpose, tribal membership, ICWA placements, the requirement for active efforts, and relevant Montana ICWA provisions.
Qualified Expert Witness (QEW) Course
https://ccfwd.instructure.com/courses/52
Audience: Individuals interested in becoming Qualified Expert Witnesses (QEW) or refreshing their knowledge. QEWs provide testimony in foster care or parental rights cases where ICWA applies. Open to all.
Overview: This short course covers the goals of ICWA, an overview of dependency and neglect cases, the legal context of ICWA and Montana ICWA (MICWA), rules for testifying as a QEW, the court process and hearings, and QEW guidelines.