Washington State's Children’s Justice Task Force (CJTF) was created in October 1987, pursuant to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. The CJTF identifies areas where improvement is needed in the statewide response to child maltreatment, makes recommendations, and take actions to improve the system.
Mission
The mission of the interdisciplinary task force is to provide recommendations to Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) in the development, establishment, and operation of programs that promote safety and protection of children by improving:
- Legislative, administrative, and judicial handling of child abuse and neglect cases, (particularly sexual abuse and exploitation), in a manner which limits additional trauma to the child victim.
- Handling of child fatality cases in which child abuse or neglect is suspected.
- Handling of cases involving children with disabilities or serious health related problems who are victims of abuse or neglect.