CJ4C

The Supreme Court of Georgia Committee on Justice for Children has administered the Cold Case Project since 2009.  The Cold Case Project Fellows review cases of children who have been in foster care for an extended period of time, and who appear to be aging out of foster care without attaining permanency. The Project has been and continues to be conducted in full partnership and support with the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services.

The original 11 Cold Case Fellows were: Patricia Ketch Buonodono; Melinda Cowan; Rachel Davidson; Darice Good; Karlise Y. Grier; Diana Rugh Johnson; Trân Lankford; Dorothy Murphy; Brooke Silverthorn; Leslie Stewart; and Ashley Willcott.  In October of 2010, Jen Carreras and Aver Oliver joined as Fellows.  Later on, Mary Hermann and Tom Rawlings joined the Cold Case Project as Senior Fellows. The Fellows represent a mix of agency (Special Assistant Attorneys General), parent, and child attorneys, and Guardians ad Litem. Ashley Willcott, a Special Assistant Attorney General, is the Cold Case Project's leader.  The Fellows make periodic presentations at the Committee on Justice for Children meetings. At the end of 2009, the Committee published a paper based on project findings. Applied Research Services, an Atlanta based company specializing in criminal justice and policy development, served as the project evaluator in 2009.  Based upon the findings, the paper delivered recommendations for changes in law or policy that will serve to stop "foster care drift" and find permanent homes for children who have been in foster care more than two years. Currently funded by Casey Family Programs, the Cold Case Project continues to operate with ongoing case reviews, working even more closely with the Department of Family and Children Services.  The goal remains to find a permanent home for each and every child in foster care.