Description
The courthouse is not typically designed with children in mind. Instead, it is an adult arena where games are never played and where gentle, reassuring voices are seldom heard. Regardless, children come to court whether they accompany a parent, a sibling, or a family friend. They are visible in the corridors, in the clerks office, in waiting areas, and in courtrooms. A crying toddler, a mother hushing her five-year-old who wants to know what the man is saying to his daddy, the two-year-old pounding the bench with her feet because her aunt won't let her go look out the window; courtrooms across the country are disrupted by children who are being asked to sit quietly for extended periods of time, behavior that we generally would not expect from them in other settings.
Out in the corridors, there are accidents waiting to happen: toddlers exploring uncovered electrical outlets, preschoolers climbing on the railing overlooking the ceremonial staircase, or running up and down the hallways. Court and law enforcement officers, clerks, lawyers, and court services staff, are all pressed into child watching services to ensure the children's safety and to reduce the chaos caused by the presence of children.
By offering a safe and nurturing play center in the courts, we hope to significantly improve courthouse operations and participation of parents or guardians in the judicial process.
