Prior NCJFCJ research (Wood, Russell, Macgill, & Summers, under review) suggests that lower judicial workloads were associated with a higher percentage of juvenile dependency cases achieving permanency within timeliness guidelines. This important finding could be expanded upon in two ways. First, specifying which permanent outcome was being achieved (e.g., termination of parental rights, reunification, or relative placement) would add precision. Second, a consideration of effectiveness (i.e., safe permanency without re-entry) in addition to efficiency (i.e., timeliness) of case processing, would provide a more complete understanding of the effects of judicial workloads. Therefore, the current analysis seeks to answer two questions: (1) Do judicial workloads predict timely outcomes? (2) Are timely outcomes (within statutory guidelines or state goals) related to safe and permanent outcomes?

To answer the first question, we examined four county-level “efficiency” variables from Washington State: (1) percentage of cases that reunify within 12 months, (2) percentage of children who exit care in less than 24 months, (3) percentage of children in care more than 24 months who exit within the year, and (4) percentage of children in care less than 12 months who have less than 2 placements. A series of linear regression models estimated whether judicial workloads predicted the efficiency variables. Judicial workloads were a significant predictor of reunification within 12 months. Courts with lower judicial workloads had a higher percentage of cases achieving reunification within 12 months than courts with greater judicial workloads. Judicial workloads did not have any apparent effect on any of the other efficiency variables.

To assess whether timely outcomes are related to safe and permanent outcomes, the four “efficiency” measures were used as predictors to examine “effectiveness” (i.e., percentage of cases that re-enter foster care within 12 months of permanency). A second series of regression models showed that reunification within 12 months was a significant negative predictor of re-entry.  Counties with higher rates of reunification within 12 months also had fewer re-entries within 12 months of case closure. When reunifications were more likely to occur in shorter time periods, re-entries were less likely—implying that more efficient jurisdictions were more effective. None of the other efficiency variables (i.e., percentage of children who exit care in less than 24 months, percentage of children in care more than 24 months who exit within the year, percentage of children in care less than 12 months who have less than 2 placements) significantly predicted re-entry.

Decreasing judicial workloads is a crucial component to helping children reunify with their parents and experience more safe and stable reunifications. Courts considering whether to increase their number of judicial officers should take these findings as an indicator of the benefits of increasing judicial personnel. This empirical analysis suggests that by increasing their number of judicial officers, courts can decrease judicial workloads, increase timely reunifications, and reduce re-entry into care.