Court gives grants for family projects

Fifteen projects in 18 Indiana counties are receiving grants from the Indiana Supreme Court aimed at family court projects, including Madison and Parke counties that are the newest to join the effort that’s been in place since 1999.

The state’s highest court awarded $257,000 in grant money, with Marion County receiving the most, followed by Clark, Madison, Allen, and Tippecanoe counties. A full list can be found online at the state judiciary’s Web site at www.in.gov/judiciary. The project is funded by monies from the Supreme Court budget and federal Court Improvement Program.

The goal of the project is to create a coordinated approach for families with multiple cases pending before multiple judges. More than $2.2 million has been awarded to 23 family courts statewide since the project began.

The project has expanded to include other family-friendly programs such as alternative dispute resolution and service referral or coordination.

The Family Court Advisory Committee members include Indiana Court of Appeals Judge Margret Robb; Lilia Judson, executive director of the Division of State Court Administration; Dave Remondini, chief deputy executive director of the Division of State Court Administration; Leslie Rogers Dunn, state director for guardian ad litem/court appointed special advocates; and Loretta Oleksy, Family Court Project manager.