Archive

• The 2025 Abuse, Neglect, Dependency – TPR Manual and Updated “Candyland” Are Here with a Bonus Bulletin on Rule 17 GALs in Juvenile Cases

  This entry was contributed by Sara DePasquale on March 16, 2026 at 9:54 am and is filed under Child Welfare Law.

  On behalf of myself and my colleagues, we are excited to announce the availability of three new resources addressing abuse, neglect, dependency (A/N/D), and termination of parental rights (TPR) proceedings. We hope these resources assist you in your work, which we know is challenging.

  1. Abuse, Neglect, Dependency, and Termination of Parental Rights Proceedings in North Carolina (2025 ed), by Sara DePasquale and Caitlin Little

  The 2025 edition of the A/N/D Manual is now available at no charge on the SOG website on its own microsite (or landing page). This edition, which has a green cover, replaces the 2023 (orange cover) edition and is current through December 31, 2025. This new edition includes 89 new appellate opinions, the numerous and significant legislative changes that were made impacting child welfare, as well as changes made on the federal level – all since January 1, 2023. Please stop using your orange (or even older) edition, as it is outdated. Embrace the green!

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• The 2023 edition of the Abuse, Neglect, Dependency – TPR Manual Is Here!

  This entry was contributed by Sara DePasquale on February 15, 2024 at 11:34 am and is filed under Child Welfare Law.

  My belated Valentine’s gift to you all is the 2023 edition of Abuse, Neglect, Dependency, and Termination of Parental Rights Proceedings in North Carolina, otherwise known as “the A/N/D Manual” or “the Manual.”

  The 2023 edition of the Manual is now available at no charge on the SOG website, here. This edition replaces the February 2022 edition and is current through December 31, 2023 for both appellate opinions issued by the North Carolina appellate courts (most of which are published) as well as legislative changes made through that date. This updated and revised edition includes over 100 new opinions and the legislative changes impacting child welfare, including the significant changes to infant safe surrender.

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• Learning Together To “Get It Right”

  This entry was contributed by Cheryl Howell on July 31, 2020 at 9:00 am and is filed under Uncategorized.

  **This post was written by Elizabeth Watkins Price, Associate Director of Curriculum and Administration, The North Carolina Judicial College, UNC Chapel Hill School of Government

   

  Since its founding in 2005, the mission of the Judicial College has been to provide “education and training to judicial branch personnel to develop the abilities and values necessary to provide justice.” In the nearly four years that I have been in my role, I’ve consistently encountered a similar dedication to learning and fairness expressed by our clients: the judges, magistrates, clerks, and other court officials of North Carolina. The great news is that the individuals who make up our judiciary are working hard to do incredibly complicated and difficult jobs, and they want to “get it right.” So, when we zoom out and see that the system we’re working in has a disparate impact on different communities, it can be hard to understand how our best efforts aren’t adding up to the creation of the fair and just system we all want to be a part of.

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