Going to a courtroom can be scary, especially for children at the center of custody cases. Getting a small gift can help to take some of the fear out of the experience. That’s where Courtroom Assisted Reading Encouragement (CARE) comes in to help. Those in charge of the program maintain a small book collection in the Johnson County Courthouse in Olathe, and any child who comes through Judge Kathleen Sloan’s courtroom gets the opportunity to pick a volume to take home and keep. “They get to end their day that probably started in the courtroom with entering this room and experiencing this very positive, empowering event,” said Melody Kinnamon, a librarian for the Johnson County Library system. “They get to pick what they want, and they get to keep it,” says Kinnamon, who oversees the program. “We’re coming alongside these kids during what we’re assuming is a difficult situation, and we’re trying to make it better.” Sloan, who handles child-in-need-of-care cases, said she has invited other judges and court-appointed special advocates to bring children to the CARE collection. “These are children who have either been removed from their parents or they stay with their parents with court involvement,” Sloan said. “Humanity or normalcy” is important, she said. Currently, about 150 to 200 new books each year are given out.
Source: Joco 913 News
