Mecklenburg County to Open Safe Babies Court for Child Welfare Cases

Mecklenburg County will be the sixth Safe Babies Court site in North Carolina, joining a program that has enrolled more than 170 children across five sites since June 2024. The N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts and Mecklenburg County are setting up the new court to handle child welfare cases.

Implementation started this fall, and families are expected to begin participating in January 2027. The court will bring together judges, parents, social services professionals and community providers to address the needs of infants, toddlers and their families.

The process includes frequent judicial status conferences, family team meetings and coordinated services. The goal is to move children toward safe, permanent homes, including reunification with their families when that is appropriate. Cases involve abuse, neglect and dependency proceedings.

NCAOC Director Ryan Boyce said the earliest years of life are critical, and courts have a responsibility to help the families they serve in child welfare matters achieve stability. He said expanding Safe Babies Court to Mecklenburg County builds on work already underway across North Carolina to achieve timely permanence for developing young people.

District Court Judge Aretha Blake said every interaction matters in the life of a young child. For an infant or toddler who has experienced abuse or neglect and is in foster care, Blake said, it is vital that courts and the child welfare system operate in a trauma-responsive manner that uses community resources to support families. Blake said the court gives judges, parents, child welfare professionals and community partners a chance to identify barriers earlier and strengthen families.

Safe Babies Court grew out of recommendations from the Chief Justice's Task Force on Adverse Childhood Experiences-Informed Courts. That task force focused on trauma-informed judicial practices and stronger collaboration among courts and child welfare partners. More information is at NCcourts.gov/programs/safe-babies-court.