Strengthening Abuse and Neglect Courts Act of 1998

Strengthening Abuse and Neglect Courts Act of 1998 - Directs the Attorney General to award grants to State and local courts to: (1) enable such courts to develop and implement automated data collection and case-tracking systems for proceedings conducted by, or under the supervision of, an abuse and neglect court; (2) encourage the replication of such systems in abuse and neglect courts in other jurisdictions; and (3) require the use of such systems to evaluate a court's performance in complying with requirements of part B (child and family services) and part E (Federal payments for foster care and adoption assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act.

Sets forth provisions regarding limits on the number and use of grants, application and matching requirements, considerations in evaluating grant applications, length of awards, fund availability, and reporting requirements for grantees and the Attorney General. Authorizes appropriations.

(Sec. 5) Amends the Social Security Act to: (1) increase appropriated sums for FY 1999 to promote safe and stable families and directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to reserve $10 million of such sums for making grants to enable the highest State courts in States participating in the program under part E to reduce existing backlogs of cases pending in abuse and neglect courts; (2) make specified sums available to States for the training of judges, judicial and law enforcement personnel, guardians ad litem, and attorneys representing the State or local agency administering the program, representing parents in proceedings conducted by or under the supervision of an abuse and neglect court, and representing children in such proceedings, to the extent such training is related to provisions of, and amendments made by, the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997; and (3) require States, to be eligible for foster care and adoption assistance, to develop and encourage (by January 1, 2001) the implementation of practice standards for all attorneys representing the State or local agency administering the program.

Sets forth provisions regarding technical assistance and training. Authorizes appropriations.

(Sec. 7) Requires the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the Department of Justice to make a grant to the National Court-Appointed Special Advocate Association to: (1) expand the recruitment, and build the capacity, of court-appointed special advocate programs located in the 15 largest urban areas; (2) develop regional, multijurisdictional resource centers for court-appointed special advocate programs serving rural areas; and (3) provide training and supervision of volunteers in such programs. Authorizes appropriations.