Funded by the Children's Justice Act Program - Texas Center for the Judiciary, the Children's Advocacy Center implemented the Kids in Court (KIC) program in 2008. The KIC program works in collaboration with the Smith County Criminal District Attorney's Office. This relationship benefits the child victims and the families as the CAC is better able to keep families informed about how their case is progressing through the criminal justice system. In the event that criminal charges are filed and will ultimately result in a criminal hearing, the KIC coordinator works with the child victim and non-offending caregivers to provide case updates, court education and court accompaniment.

Court Education/Preparation
All too often there are misconceptions associated with court for children and adults alike. These misconceptions, if not addressed and corrected, can be fear inducing and anxiety provoking. The CAC of Smith County offers court education as an opportunity to explain what court is, the importance of telling the truth and the roles of the individuals present in a typical court room.

The CAC of Smith County utilizes a court preparation curriculum in combination with the Kids in Court Manual (developed by the CAC of Smith County) to prepare young witnesses for the experience of providing testimony in a courtroom. The educational curriculum is presented through various activities and learning objectives which are hands on and interactive. The number of court education sessions conducted with a child is determined on a case by case basis but generally is between two and five sessions.

Initially, a child witness is introduced to the setup of a typical courtroom through a wooden diorama depicting the various structures and personnel roles. At some point prior to a criminal hearing a child may be offered a court room tour. In the past, these tours have been arranged through the Smith County Criminal District Attorney’s Office.

Court Accompaniment
If a criminal case proceeds to a criminal hearing, the KIC coordinator or family advocate will accompany the child witness and family to court. Because this experience can be difficult for a family emotionally and physically the KIC coordinator works in collaboration with the Victims Assistance Coordinator at the Smith County Criminal District Attorney’s Office to provide support throughout the duration of the trial.

Kids in Court Partnerships
The CAC of Smith County is collaborating with the Therapet Foundation to provide animal-assisted therapy activities to CAC of Smith County clients and young witnesses. The Therapet will work with child witnesses in court education sessions to provide a calming presence which has been shown to have documented benefits such as:

• Aids in building rapport with the professional adult and promotes engagement with the child (Parish-Plass, 2008).
  
  
• Acts as comfort or support for the child and reduces anxiety and stress (Serpell, 1996).
  
  
• Provides safety, friendliness and a sense of normalcy to the setting (Parish-Plass, 2008).

The CAC of Smith County is partnering with the Discovery Science Place in Tyler, Texas to enhance the quality of the court education experience. The Discovery Science Place is currently in the process of raising funds to construct a life size mock courtroom modeled after an actual Smith County courtroom. Following construction and completion, the CAC of Smith County will be granted afterhours access to the court room exhibit with the child witness and his/her family. This will allow the child to become familiar with a courtroom setting in a less intimidating environment.

For more information on Kids in Court, call (903) 533-1880 or email JenniferT@cacsmithcounty.org.

References:

Parish-Plass, N. (2008). Animal-assisted therapy with children suffering from insecure attachment due to abuse and neglect: A method to lower the risk of intergenerational transmission of abuse? Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 13(1), 7-30.

Sepell, J.A. (1996). In the company of animals: A study of human-animal relationships (Canto Ed.). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.