Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts

CFCC is interdisciplinary and bases all its work on therapeutic jurisprudence (from the law) and the ecology of human development (from the social sciences).

The University of Baltimore School of Law Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts focuses on family law and family justice system reform designed to improve the lives of families and children. As a national leader in the movement to reform the family justice system, CFCC is instrumental in generating family court initiatives, preparing action-oriented reports and proj

ects, and providing educational programs that focus on issues affecting parents, children, the judiciary, practitioners, and services providers. CFCC’s Student Fellows Program (SFP) – CFCC approaches legal education from a new perspective, giving students a unique lens through which to understand the family justice system. This experiential course provides students with an in-depth examination of the policies and theories surrounding court reform and cutting edge issues in family law, including unified family courts, therapeutic jurisprudence, and the ecology of human development. In addition, the program exposes students to a range of opportunities within the family law field and allows them to delve deeply into an initiative of their choice. Unified Family Courts (UFCs) – In reforming the family justice system, CFCC focuses on the components that characterize a UFC system. A central tenet is therapeutic jurisprudence, involving intervention in family problems to make matters better. The UFC offers a fair and efficient forum to resolve family legal matters in a problem-solving manner, with the goal of improving the lives of families and children appearing before the court. In a UFC, the family court addresses all of the legal and the non-legal issues in a family law case, providing for a holistic, internally consistent resolution. CFCC has led the movement to create UFCs in Maryland, has held a national UFC Symposium, and continues to promote the concept across the country. The Truancy Court Program (TCP) –The TCP is a holistic, early intervention, and school-based approach that provides a volunteer judge, a coordinator, a CFCC Student Fellow, a professional mentor, and volunteer tutors to work alongside school personnel to address truancy. Through close interaction with the child and his/her family, the TCP identifies the root causes of a child’s truant behavior; builds relationships among the judge, the CFCC and school teams, the student and his/her family; and provides services and support to enable the student to address and alleviate the causes of truancy to enable the child to come to school every day and on time. The "Families Matter" Initiative – In response to the often destructive, adversarial, and inefficient nature of the family justice system, CFCC has partnered with the American Bar Association Section of Family Law (ABA FLS), the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), the National Conference of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), and other national organizations to work to transform the family justice system into a more therapeutic, holistic, and effective system. The initiative involves public outreach, dissemination of reports and articles, Continuing Legal Education programs, and other activities designed to improve the practice of family law. CFCC’s Annual "Urban Child Symposium" – CFCC brings together local and national experts from academia, the judiciary, policymaking, and practice, as well as interested participants from the community, to address an issue of special concern for urban children each spring. Past symposium topics include truancy, health, and the child welfare system. More information about these initiatives, CFCC’s core philosophies, and ways to get involved with CFCC’s work are available for review on CFCC’s website and blog.

*CFCC does not engage in client legal representation

10/31/2025

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

At the Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts (CFCC), we believe that justice, equity, and mutuality are inseparable. Our work centers on ensuring every family and child has access to systems that uplift rather than divide.

Photos from Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts's post

10/30/2025

Celebrating 25 years of impact, innovation, and justice!

This special Third Quarter Edition of the CFCC Newsletter highlights unforgettable moments from the CFCC 2025 Symposium and our 25th Anniversary Celebration.

From thought-provoking panels to inspiring community changemakers and powerful keynote conversations, the event showcased CFCC’s enduring commitment to advancing equity, healing, and family well-being. 💙⚖️

📖 Read more: https://blogs.ubalt.edu/cfcc/?_ga=2.152263994.2077253593.1761851111-2112387356.1761851111

10/28/2025

This past weekend, we teamed up with the National Adoption Association to host our Healing Resource Fair! It was an incredible day of community, conversation, and care — bringing together families, professionals, and advocates to share resources and promote healing. ♥️

10/10/2025

CRADLE TO CAGE: Seeds of Hope 🌱
Join us for a powerful two-day convening focused on abolitionist healing and truth-telling around the harms of Baltimore’s family policing system.

This gathering, Seeds of Hope, will bring together advocates, community leaders, and those directly impacted to reimagine care, justice, and family.

📅 November 7–8, 2025
📍 Baltimore, MD (Exact location shared after RSVP)

10/03/2025

In partnership with the National Adoption Association (NAA), we’re bringing the community together for a Healing Resource Fair! ✨

Join us for a day of storytelling, healing circles, and uplifting the voices that matter most. 💜 Plus:
🌱 Wellness zones
💼 Career support
🍴 Food + giveaways

📅 October 25th | ⏰ 11:00 AM – 3:30 PM

This is a space to connect, heal, and grow together. Don’t miss it—check the flyer for details and bring a friend!

10/02/2025

This weekend in Baltimore, we came together with JMEC Strategie Disruptor Initiative + The Community Group for a powerful community screening of Preschool to Prison. 🎬✨

The event was full of interactive workshops, food, prizes, and real conversations about breaking cycles and building brighter futures.

💡 Our Executive Director, Aubrey Edward’s Luce, shared strategies on tackling chronic absenteeism and highlighted the work of CFCC.
🌟 Tasha Roberson Wing, protégé with the Ujima Collective, also brought her voice to the discussion.

Huge thanks to everyone who joined us—together, we’re working to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline and uplift our youth. 💪🏾📚

09/23/2025

Democracy thrives when justice is strong. Every safeguard we build for families, children, and communities is a safeguard for democracy itself. 💙

At CFCC, we remain committed to strengthening the systems that uphold fairness, equity, and dignity for all.

09/18/2025

We are filled with gratitude! ✨

Thank you to our partners, staff, and community for making the 2025 CFCC Symposium a true success. Your commitment and engagement made this milestone celebration both meaningful and inspiring.

We’re excited to continue the conversation—exclusive insights, highlights, and takeaways from the symposium will be featured in our next newsletter. Stay tuned for reflections, key moments, and ways we can keep moving forward together.

09/10/2025

Tomorrow’s the Day!

We are honored to welcome an outstanding group of speakers and thought leaders to the CFCC 25th Anniversary Symposium: What Families Need in the Next 25 Years at the University of Baltimore School of Law.

For 25 years, the Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts (CFCC) has led efforts to reform family justice and support children, families, and communities. Tomorrow, we come together to reflect, reimagine, and set a bold vision for the future.

This distinguished group brings expertise across law, policy, advocacy, education, and community impact. Together, they will explore how we can address systemic inequities, strengthen families, and shape the next generation of justice reform:

Join us tomorrow as we celebrate 25 years of CFCC’s impact and chart the course for the next 25 years of family justice innovation.

Register here: https://lnkd.in/eKQ_9Wk9

09/08/2025

We are honored to feature Erin Miles Cloud, co-founder of Movement for Family Power and attorney with Civil Rights Corps, as the moderator for Panel 3: How We Move Forward in Community at the CFCC Symposium & 25-Year Celebration.

This panel will focus on how we build coalitions and strengthen our communities to create lasting change—through direct services, legislative action, and policy advocacy.

Erin brings a wealth of experience as a lawyer, educator, and advocate. She has taught Movement Lawyering at the University of Baltimore School of Law and Critical Race Theory at CUNY Law, and continues to fight for justice alongside families and communities most impacted by systemic inequities.

Join us as Erin leads this powerful conversation on advancing justice, equity, and community-driven change at the Symposium.

09/08/2025

We are excited to welcome Cathy Krebs, Committee Director of the American Bar Association Litigation Section Children’s Rights Litigation Committee (CRLC), as a moderator at the CFCC Symposium & 25-Year Celebration!

Cathy will moderate Panel 1: Barriers to Health and Well-Being, a conversation exploring the challenges families face in accessing medical care, education, housing, and material resources. Panelists will also discuss how laws and policies can undermine family well-being through unnecessary legal system involvement, family separation, and limited access to care.

As Committee Director of the CRLC, Cathy works with children’s attorneys nationwide to expand access to legal representation for youth, strengthen the right to counsel, and support fearless, high-quality advocacy.

Join us for this important conversation at our milestone event.

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