Preparing Children to Testify in Court

Court preparation is beneficial for the children required to testify in a courtroom. The purpose of a child-witness court preparation program is to assist the child witness in her or his ability to testify truthfully and effectively in a courtroom. This is important because children are required to testify about serious allegations that hold potentially significant outcomes for them or those accused. Having an unprepared child take the witness stand and offer poor testimony is not only regrettable, but preventable.

The National Child Protection Training Center has released to the public a previous issue of its newsletter, “CenterPiece,” that explores the effectiveness of preparation programs for children in dependency court.

Download the issue here.

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