Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton - A Leader in Adoption Reform
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"We must focus on a goal of a permanent home as soon as possible for a child. We cannot afford to lose time in the appellate process. An appeal may considerably extend a child's placement in foster care. While several months or a year may seem a reasonable period for an appeals process to an adult, it is an eternity in the life of a child."
- Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton.
Justice Stratton has been at the forefront of both state and national efforts to reduce the length of time that it takes to place adoptive children in permanent homes.
As a leader in adoption reform in Ohio, Justice Stratton has authored amendments to the appellate rules and to the Supreme Court of Ohio's Rules of Practice that have streamlined the appeals process both for adoptions and cases involving the termination of parental rights. Shortening the timeline in these sensitive cases has substantially improved the process and provided the model for other state courts.
At the request of the National Center for State Courts, Justice Stratton has also led a nationwide effort to develop and enact appellate rules designed to shorten the appeal process in each state. At her request, Chief Justices in all 50 states designated a key leader to work with her committee.
When Justice Stratton formed her committee, only a handful of states had an expedited appeals process. Today, 42 states have such a process in place. The final Committee report provides a roadmap to the best practices in expedited appeals and studies on how different states have handled expedited appeals.
Access the study, "Expediting Dependency Appeals: Strategies to Reduce Delay."1
As a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, Justice Stratton worked for improvements in the adoption process. In 1998, the Foundation helped to establish the National Center for Adoption Law and Policy at Capital University Law School. This unique Center focuses on legal support and reforms in the fields of adoption and child welfare.
Among the many awards Justice Stratton has received for her service to children are the 2001 Angels in Adoption Award presented by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, the 2001 Adoption Excellence Award given to her by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the 1998 St. Joseph Orphanage Scholar of Life Award.
1 The project has now been completed, and the Committee is very pleased to report that 42 states have an expedited appeals process in place. The Expedited Adoptiong Committee has also just released its final report and study, entitled "Expediting Dependency Appeals: Strategies to Reduce Delay." The report provides a practical guide to best practices for expedited appeals, studies on how different states have handled expedited appeals, their successes and road blocks.
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