Family court has been greatly impacted by parental substance abuse and the rise of caseloads containing parents with co-occurring problems. Simultaneously, the 1997 Adoption and Safe Families Act created additional pressure on the system by requiring the courts and child welfare systems to resolve dependency cases within strict time limits. Jurisdictions have been seeking to develop ways to meet these demands. Family Dependency Treatment Courts (FDTCs) were developed and adapted from the practices of adult criminal drug courts. FDTCs are based on collaboration between the courts and various agencies, such as Child Protective Services. These courts are designed to quickly identify and assess substance-abusing parents, provide immediate access to substance abuse treatment and related services, remove barriers to successful completion of treatment, and provide ongoing judicial supervision and reliable monitoring of parental sobriety. FDTCs use a system of sanctions and incentives to help increase accountability on the part of the parents. These specialized courts allow for the safe reunification of families or the finding of alternative permanent homes for children in a timely manner where reunification is not possible. Therefore, the design of these courts requires a coordinated, collaborative approach. References, appendixes A and B