PRESIDING JUDGE ERIC C. TAYLOR ANNOUNCES REOPENING OF CHILD WAITING ROOMS TO SERVE PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN IN THREE LOS ANGELES COUNTY COURTHOUSES
Child Waiting Rooms Provide Families With a Safe, Free, and Fun Space for Children While Adults Conduct Court Business
Effective Monday, October 24, the Court is reopening Child Waiting Rooms at the Governor George Deukmejian (Long Beach) Courthouse, the Michael D. Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse, and the Whittier Courthouse, Presiding Judge Eric C. Taylor announced today. The Court temporarily closed its eight waiting rooms in 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For more than two decades, Child Waiting Rooms have played a crucial role in the Court’s service to our communities by providing a safe, convenient and free space for adults to drop off their children while they attend court hearings or conduct business in our Clerk’s Office or Self-Help Centers,” Presiding Judge Taylor said. “By the end of the year, the Court looks forward to reopening all eight Child Waiting Rooms to make it easier for families to access justice in Los Angeles County courthouses.”
As public health restrictions have expired and COVID-19 case trends have decreased, the Court has prioritized the reopening of these child-friendly rooms. The Court strongly encourages the use of face masks inside all LA County courthouses, including in the Child Waiting Rooms.
First opened at the old Long Beach Courthouse in 2002, Child Waiting Rooms have remained a core part of the Court’s service model for over two decades. In addition to the three Child Waiting Rooms opening their doors on October 24, five other Child Waiting Rooms in the Chatsworth, Compton, Stanley Mosk, Pomona, and Van Nuys East courthouses are scheduled to reopen by the end of the year.
Operated in partnership with Because Children Matter, LLC., service providers staff each room, which are available to all children 13 years or younger. Children will experience culturally enriching activities such as arts and crafts, music, and reading while their parents or guardians conduct court business in the same building.
Child Waiting Rooms exemplify the Court’s efforts to provide convenient access to justice via the Court’s AccessLACourt | Your Way initiative. Whether appearing for hearings remotely via LACourtConnect, the Court’s remote courtroom appearance technology, receiving assistance through one of the Court’s call centers, or accessing in-person and remote services through one of the Court’s Self-Help Centers, court users have convenient options to conduct court business.
To learn more about the Court’s services, visit www.lacourt.org.
You can see the full notice here.
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