Although primary caregivers play a pivotal role in nurturing early emotional development (birth-5), caregiver-child dyads are insufficiently supported following child abuse and/or neglect, foster care placement, and reunification with biological caregivers. Informed by ecological systems theory and a preceding analysis of Child Welfare providers, the current study recruited Family Court Judges and Judicial Hearing Officers, an overlooked group of key stakeholders. Thirty-three participants (40% response rate; 23 counties in one Mid-Atlantic state in the United States) completed an expert-reviewed survey on satisfaction with court-related processes, efforts supporting emotional development, and thoughts on proposed court-level initiatives. Findings and implications are discussed.
