As a member of the 1st District Access to Justice Committee (ATJ), I help find grants benefitting our courts. Working with excellent, passionate committee members, I have been part of the team winning two recent grants for our district.
Earlier, I worked with Ric Morgan, a private practicing attorney and statewide leader in video conferencing for legal issues, to win a grant that allowed us to improve access to legal counsel for litigants in low-income and rural areas through video conferencing.
Then, hearing concerns from judges and court personnel that child care is a critical need in the courts, I helped Court Administrator Caren Stanley apply for child care funding. Caren and the ATJ surveyed other districts to see how they handle child care. We learned of statewide programs providing child care on site or through voucher programs.
From there, we developed a concept for a voucher program, and in late June, we received word that our funding request was granted.
I’m grateful for the hard work Caren and ATJ put in contacting court personnel and working with me to make court obligations less stressful for parents.
Stay tuned as Jefferson County works to provide parents with vouchers to use with local child care providers. I promise to keep you posted as this initiative rolls into operation.
