Back in 1980, the scene at Pittsburgh's Family Court was very different than what you'll find today.
Ask Hilary Spatz, who was there at the time, just a few years out of law school: "We were crammed in, and people could smoke there," she explains. "People didn't have childcare, so they had to bring their children if they were going to participate and access the system." The children were left to wait in those smoky hallways, often running around with little adult supervision.
That all changed in 1980, thanks to the local chapter of the
National Council of Jewish Women and a woman named Jane Lobl.
Lobl created a safe space for kids to play while their parents were in court. Especially for families dealing with difficult situations, the Jane B. Lobl Children's Room was an oasis.
"It was just such a ray of light. There was baby gate and you could see NCJW volunteers giving care to children," says Spatz, who is the NCJW's vice president of community service. "It was bright and colorful and filled with toys."
In the thirty years since, two more Children's Rooms have opened in other court buildings. They give free care to 5,000 children each year. Parents involved in a wide array of proceedings -- divorce, custody, mediation, support, domestic violence or criminal issues -- can leave their children in the safety and comfort of the Children's Rooms.
The kids (newborns through teens) have access to books, crafts, puzzles, games, computers and toys. They're served lunch and snacks. And each is given an age-appropriate book to take home. "We have a professional director now," Spatz says. "We have hired staff and thousands of hours of volunteering, without which we couldn't do it."
As the Children's Rooms program celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, Spatz points out another benefit: The rooms are now open to jurors' children, so a lack of childcare doesn't have to keep anyone from serving on a jury. Access to childcare is often a financial issue, she says, so removing this barrier means juries can be more socioeconomically balanced.
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Writer: Melissa Rayworth
Source: Hilary Spatz, NCJW
Image courtesy of NCJW/Children's Rooms