The law places major new responsibilities on juvenile courts by requiring them to oversee child welfare cases more rigorously than ever before. Over the past 17 years, seven principles and insights have emerged that seem to form the basis of a successful abuse and neglect court. However, court proceedings can also be counterproductive, unpleasant, and even traumatic to children and their families. States and courts should consider 23 steps to ensure that courts operate effectively and efficiently without further abusing the children and families they are meant to serve. The first step is for State legislatures, State supreme courts and judicial councils to ensure that juvenile court judges have equal status within the judicial hierarchy as judges of the highest-ranked trial court. These organizations must also ensure that adequate numbers of judges and administrative staff are available to hear juvenile court cases within each jurisdiction. Third, judges should encourage social service agencies to establish protocols that allow parents to receive voluntary in-home services or, in appropriate cases, out-of-home placement services prior to the filing of a formal petition. Discussion of the other 20 recommended actions and 167 reference notes