The Children's Commission regularly offers scholarships to judges to attend state and national conferences. Scholarships typically reimburse judges for conference registration fees, and occasionally, for travel-related expenses.

For all scholarships, the Children's Commission determines scholarship criteria and deploys an application process that includes pre- and post-conference evaluations to identify or confirm the knowledge gained from the training, new practices which awardees plan to implement, and/or a current practice which they plan to change. Surveys also inquire about additional topics of interest to help inform planning for future training.

Please visit the sections below for more information on state and national conferences in child welfare. Please note, the Children’s Commission may not offer scholarships to every training listed. If you have questions about scholarships to this year’s events, please email CCscholarships@txcourts.gov.

Information on scholarships will be available on this webpage and also through announcements via the Children’s Commission’s Resource Letters for Judges and Attorneys. To receive notice about scholarships to future conferences and trainings, please sign up to receive Resource Letters from the Children’s Commission.

Each year, the TexasBarCLE hosts the Advanced Family Law Course, which includes the Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN) one-day Workshop. The 2023 CAN Workshop will be held on Wednesday, August 9, 2023. For more information and updates, please visit the TexasBarCLE website.

Please note, the registration fee for the CAN Workshop is waived for Texas judges by TexasBarCLE. Judges wishing to attend the Workshop should contact TexasBarCLE directly.

Past Scholarship Opportunities

TexasBarCLE and the Child Protection Law Section of the State Bar of Texas hosted the Annual Advanced Child Protection Law Course held on March 23-24, 2023 in Houston, Texas which included a 3-hour Child Protection Law 101 Course pre-conference training. Webcast replay for both the 101 Course and the Advanced Course is also available. For more information on both courses, please see the current brochure.

Please note, the registration fees for the courses are waived for Texas judges by TexasBarCLE. Judges wishing to attend the 101 Course or Advanced Course should contact TexasBarCLE directly.

The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) hosted the 2023 National Conference on Juvenile Justice on March 19-22, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. The conference featured plenary and breakout sessions on juvenile justice, trafficking, child welfare, highlighting court best practices, innovative solutions, and self-care. More information is available on the NCJFCJ website.

This scholarship is now closed. 

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Two types of scholarships are available:

  • Registration + travel assistance scholarships up to $1,200 total, or
  • Registration-only scholarships for local Dallas-area judges and those who do not require travel assistance to attend.

Please note, this is a reimbursement scholarship and confirmed awardees will be required to cover their expenses up front and submit for reimbursement upon return. Please read below for more information and a link to apply.

Scholarship Criteria:

To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must hear juvenile justice or child welfare cases. To encourage geographic diversity, preference may be given to judges who have larger percentages of their docket dedicated to child welfare cases and may also be determined by the applicant’s jurisdiction location. Additionally, all applicants must agree to complete a post-event survey from the Children’s Commission. 

Applicants have two choices for the type of scholarship best suited for them:

  • Registration + Travel Assistance Scholarship:

The registration + travel assistance scholarship will take the form of reimbursed registration fees and eligible conference-related expenses, such as travel or lodging, up to $1,200 total. Any additional expenses must be covered by the scholarship recipient. This scholarship is available to judges traveling outside of their designated headquarters to attend the training.

  •  Registration-only Scholarship:

The registration-only scholarship will take the form of reimbursed registration fees only. This scholarship type is available for local judges in the Dallas area or those who do not require any travel assistance in order to attend.

Both types of scholarships are reimbursement-based. Please refer to the Children’s Commission’s travel reimbursement guidelines regarding travel reimbursement eligibility and allowable travel expenses, or email CCscholarships@txcourts.gov if you have any questions.

Please also note, registration rates are determined by your NCJFCJ membership status. The NCJFCJ is providing a pathway to membership for those who are not currently members, included with their registration for the conference. More information about membership is available on the NCJFCJ website.

Scholarship Notification and Logistics:

The Children’s Commission notified applicants of their scholarship status by Wednesday, January 25, 2023. Please note, if you applied for this scholarship in December, you should have received notice of your scholarship status and do not need to submit another application.

All awardees will need to register themselves for the conference and those who need to make travel arrangements will also need to do so themselves. Confirmed scholarship awardees may submit for reimbursement of eligible expenses upon return. It is recommended to review the Commission’s travel reimbursement guidelines before booking travel for more information about eligible travel expenses.

Please also note the following important dates:

  • The early bird registration rate ends on February 8, 2023, and
  • NCJFCJ’s final date to cancel registration is March 1, 2023, and cancellations thereafter may incur an administrative fee.

Scholarship awardees will be responsible for monitoring the NCJFCJ’s cancellation policies and cancelling their own registration and travel plans in a timely manner, should they become unable to attend. The Children’s Commission cannot offer reimbursement for those who incur costs and do not attend. More information on NCJFCJ’s cancellation policies is available under their Registration webpage.

All scholarship awardees are responsible for monitoring notices and emails from the event organizer. The Children’s Commission is not affiliated with the event and may not be aware of notices issued by the event organizer regarding cancellation policies, CLE notices and reporting rules, notices or policies regarding COVID-19, etc.

For questions regarding this scholarship, please contact the Children's Commission at CCscholarships@txcourts.gov.

Application Link and Deadline to Apply:

The application period is now closed.

The NCJFCJ 86th Annual Conference will be held on July 16-19, 2023, in Baltimore, Maryland. This conference generally features plenary sessions on family law, juvenile justice, child welfare, and family violence. More information about the conference is available on the NCJFCJ website.

This scholarship is now closed. 

Scholarship Criteria:

To be eligible for a scholarship from the Children’s Commission, applicants must hear civil child welfare cases, and preference will be given to judges who have larger percentages of their docket dedicated to such cases. Additionally, all applicants must agree to complete a post-event survey from the Children’s Commission.

This scholarship takes the form of reimbursed registration fees and allowable conference-related expenses, such as travel, lodging, and meals, up to $2,100 total. Any additional expenses must be covered by the scholarship recipient.

Scholarship Notification and Travel Logistics:

If you are awarded a scholarship, the Children’s Commission will notify you by May 19, 2023. Awardees will need to register themselves for the conference and make their own travel arrangements, including hotel reservations. Confirmed scholarship awardees may submit for reimbursement of eligible expenses upon return. For information regarding eligible travel expenses, please review the Commission’s travel reimbursement guidelines.

Please also note the following important dates:

  • The early bird registration rate ends on June 7, 2023, and
  • NCJFCJ’s final date to cancel registration is June 30, 2023 with a $100 fee.

Scholarship awardees will be responsible for monitoring the NCJFCJ’s cancellation policies and canceling their own registration and travel plans in a timely manner, should they become unable to attend. The Children’s Commission cannot offer reimbursement for those who incur costs and do not attend. More information on NCJFCJ’s cancellation policies is available on their registration webpage.

All scholarship awardees are responsible for monitoring notices and emails from the event organizer. The Children’s Commission is not affiliated with the event and may not be aware of notices issued by the event organizer regarding cancellation policies, CLE notices and reporting rules, notices or policies regarding COVID-19, etc.

For questions regarding this scholarship, please contact the Children's Commission at CCscholarships@txcourts.gov.

Application Link and Deadline to Apply:

Applications will be accepted until midnight on Thursday, May 11, 2023.

To apply for a scholarship, please click the button below.

The NACC’s 46th National Child Welfare Law Conference is scheduled for August 10-12, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In addition, a second virtual conference will take place on September 20-22, 2023. Registration to attend the in-person conference includes access to the virtual conference in September. More information about each is available on the NACC website.

The Children’s Commission is offering up to 10 reimbursement scholarships to judges and attorneys to attend the in-person conference in Minneapolis on August 10-12, 2023.  The scholarship reimbursement of up to $1,000 will be applied to registration fees and eligible travel expenses. More information and links to apply are below.

Dates and Locations:

This scholarship covers the in-person conference registration for August, which also includes registration to the second, virtual conference in September 2023.

NACC 46th National Child Welfare Law Conference
In-Person Conference
August 10-12, 2023
Hyatt Regency Minneapolis
1300 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, MN 55403

Virtual Conference (included with in-person registration)
September 20-22, 2023

Please visit the NACC website for more information about dates, location, and hotel information.

Scholarship Details and Criteria:

This scholarship is intended for judges and attorneys who wish to attend the in-person conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The scholarship will cover registration costs and conference-related travel expenses to Minneapolis for a total of up to $1,000. The funds will be used toward the dual conference registration ($475), with remaining funds available for reimbursement of eligible conference-related travel expenses following the event (up to $525), for a total of up to $1,000. The Children’s Commission will pay conference registration fees directly to NACC for each recipient, and NACC will register all Commission scholarship awardees.

To be eligible for a scholarship from the Children’s Commission, judicial applicants must primarily handle child welfare cases. Please note, preference may be given to judicial applicants who have a greater percentage of child welfare cases on their docket. Judicial applicants from all geographical regions in Texas are encouraged to apply. Preference may also be given to attorneys and judges who have not received a scholarship from the Children’s Commission within the past 2 years.

Additionally, all applicants must agree to complete a post-event survey from the Children’s Commission. Applicants who meet all the criteria will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis for a scholarship, until all 10 spots are filled. Scholarships are limited and early applications are strongly encouraged. 

Criteria for attorney scholarships is available on the Attorney Scholarships webpage.

Attendance Policy:

This event is hosted by the NACC. This scholarship opportunity is funded by a federal grant, which is managed by the Supreme Court of Texas Children's Commission. The Children's Commission is responsible for reporting attendance in support of the grant expenses. All scholarship awardees will be expected to participate in the training in Minneapolis on the event dates and to provide detailed responses to a post-event survey from the Children’s Commission thereafter.

Cancellation Policy:

This scholarship is intended for judges and attorneys who are interested in attending the in-person conference in Minneapolis. If you are awarded a scholarship and then can no longer attend the conference in person, or no longer need the scholarship in order to attend, you must notify the Children’s Commission by August 3, 2023, so that we may cancel your registration without incurring any financial penalty.

Awardees who cancel their registration after August 3, 2023, causing the Children’s Commission to incur costs associated with their anticipated attendance, may become ineligible to receive any scholarship from the Children’s Commission for the next two years.

Awardees with emergency situations requiring cancellation after August 3, 2023, must email Chelsea Martinez at CCscholarships@txcourts.gov as soon as possible so that the Commission can try to fill the slot from the waitlist.

Application Link and Deadline to Apply:

Applications will be accepted until midnight on Friday, May 26, 2023. To apply, click the button below.

Scholarship Notification and Logistics:

If you are awarded a scholarship, the Children’s Commission will notify you after the scholarship application period has ended and we have verified all applicants. We hope to notify all applicants of their scholarship status no later than June 26, 2023.

The Children’s Commission will work with NACC to register you directly. Awardees do not need to register themselves for the conference.

The reimbursement scholarship of $1,000 will be used to cover registration fees ($475), with remaining funds available for reimbursement of eligible conference-related travel expenses after the in-person event has concluded (up to $525).

A reimbursement form will be provided to awardees and must be submitted to the Children’s Commission within 45 days of travel. For information regarding eligible travel expenses for reimbursement, please review the Commission’s travel reimbursement guidelines. 

As stated above, the Commission will register all scholarship awardees directly with NACC (no need to register yourself). However, all scholarship awardees are responsible for securing their own travel plans and hotel reservations, and awardees must cover these travel costs before the conference. Confirmed scholarship awardees may submit for travel reimbursement upon return. Awardees are also responsible for canceling their own travel plans and any related fees, should they become unable to attend. The Children’s Commission is not able to offer reimbursement for those who incur costs and do not attend.

All scholarship awardees are responsible for monitoring notices and emails from the event organizer. The Children’s Commission is not affiliated with the event and may not be aware of notices issued by the event organizer regarding cancellation policies, CLE notices and reporting rules, notices or policies regarding COVID-19, etc. 

State Certification Reimbursement

For more information, please visit the Commission's Texas Board of Specialization webpage.