F R O M T H E T H I R T E E N T H J U D I C I A L C I R C U I T C H I E F J U D G E
Judge Ronald Ficarrotta – Chief Judge for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit
Positive Outcomes for Our Children
The dependency divisions perform the difficult case work many
people cannot bear to hear, and I am thankful for their efforts.
A
s I mentioned in my last article, I am
shining a spotlight on the good work
being done in the Thirteenth Judicial
Circuit Court. Our specialty court
programs combine resources, innovation,
and inspiration to provide essential services to those
who need it most. When I think
of the vulnerable and those most
deserving of resources, what
comes to my mind first and
foremost are the children of
Hillsborough County.
I am very proud of our
Dependency Divisions, which
are led with compassion and
devotion by Administrative
Judge Katherine Essrig. Judge
Essrig was recently honored with
the Luminary Award by the
Junior League of Tampa for her
tireless efforts in establishing
services and programming for
the children and families of
Hillsborough County. She
presides over the Circuit’s
various dependency divisions
with Judges Emily Peacock,
Caroline Tesche Arkin, Laura
Ward, Kimberly Vance, and Robert Bauman.
Judge Essrig presides over the Juvenile Dependency
Specialty Division, which is home to many innovative
programs:
• The “Adoptions Needed Now Project,” which works
to expedite adoptions for children who are adoption-
ready due to termination of parental rights.
• The Unaccompanied Immigrant Children’s Court,
whose cases derive from the Office of Refugee
Resettlement, which consists of children who seek
9:
citizenship while in dependency court, having already
been placed with a relative or family friend in
Hillsborough County.
• The Dependency & Family Court Crossover cases,
which are a means to unify our family court divisions.
• The Early Childhood Court, which we affectionately
refer to as Baby Court, is our
most recent innovation. Baby
Court offers families with
children under the age of three
expedited services to help
reunify the family. Families with
children visiting the Edgecomb
Courthouse for Baby Court
will soon benefit from an
age-appropriate waiting room,
which is scheduled to open
this summer.
Judge Tesche Arkin is also
planning an innovative pilot
program for dependency case
management. “New Tracks,”
as it will be called in the
Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, is
a form of differentiated case
management, which applies
time and resources to cases
based on need and track
assignment. Judge Tesche Arkin envisions a four-track
model during the pilot period, which will begin in her
division in late summer or early fall.
The dependency divisions perform the difficult
case work many people cannot bear to hear. They do so
with the assistance of tireless advocates and partners
who strive to make children safe and secure. I am
thankful for their efforts and the services they provide to
our community.
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