Unified Children’s Court
The Unified Children’s Court (UCC) Division has jurisdiction to handle related family law matters (Family, Juvenile Dependency and Delinquency, and Domestic Violence (DV) Injunction cases) in multiple parts of the court system (sometimes referred to as “crossover” cases). In accordance with mandates issued by the Florida Supreme Court in May 2001 and January 2014, the Eleventh Judicial Circuit’s Unified Children’s Court Division was established as a mechanism to provide a comprehensive, coordinated approach to handling complex related case matters, pursuant to the “One Family, One Judge” Model, with the overall purpose of promoting judicial economy, ensuring consistent rulings and court orders regarding access to children are not conflicting, minimizing inconvenience to litigants, and eliminating duplication of resources. For purposes of matters qualifying to be heard in the UCC Division, a Related Case is defined as two or more open cases in the Family and/or Domestic Violence Divisions, and/or Juvenile Dependency and/or Delinquency case(s), which involve any of the same parties, children, or issues.
Presides over cases involving minors under the age of 18 who have allegedly committed a criminal offense under the Florida Statutes.The Juvenile Delinquency Division of the court, state agencies, and community partners work closely together with the goal of rehabilitation and/or treatment of the child and family rather than punishment.
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Protects children and strives to achieve safe permanent homes for those who have suffered abuse, neglect and/or abandonment.
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The Juvenile Drug Court program aims to reduce juvenile recidivism rates by providing participants with the necessary recovery tools and community support.
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The Dependency Drug Court (DDC) addresses the underlying substance abuse problems that may exist with parents involved in dependency court.
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The G.R.A.C.E. Court is the first specialized court in the nation devoted to the needs of children who have been identified as victims of commercial sexual exploitation and labor trafficking.
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Early Childhood Court (ECC) is a problem-solving court which addresses child welfare cases involving children under the age of three and is premised on the fact that healthy attachment and early brain development, from birth to age three, is crucial to a child's future social-emotional health, school-readiness, and life-long well-being.
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Programs and Services