On the third floor inside room 300 within the Monroe County Hall of Justice building, Madeline Brown and her team are prepared to watch children while parents handle court business.
The Children’s Center accepts up to eight “drop-in” children at a time from six weeks to 12 years old.
“We’re able to provide a safe space for their child where they're able to grow, learn, and play,” Brown said.
The Children’s Center reopened in December after being closed for almost two years. Skies the Limit Academy, a federal government contractor that assists military families and bases with support services, won the contract to provide childcare within the building until 2030. Brown, who is employed by the contractor, runs the center.
“Being able to provide help to these children that may have been exposed to difficult situations or heard difficult conversations from a very young age, really piqued my interest and helped ignite that passion for me,” Brown said.
Judge Stacey Romeo said the childcare room is also a space to “insulate youth from the adult issues that are happening in this building.”
“Perhaps a parent is in crisis and they need help. We want that child, or their children, to be safe,” Romeo said. “Frankly, we need parents to focus on why they're here.”
Romeo, who is the supervising judge for the family courts in the7th Judicial District, which includes Monroe and surrounding counties, has championed the childcare program. She said the center is also part of the court's systems' commitment to protecting families despite the negative connotations the system may have.
“I'd like to try to change that culture and let the community know that we are here for our court users,” Romeo said. “We have open access to justice, and that means helping them(the families)to the best of our ability.”
The center also connects families to health, educational, nutritional, and literacy services.
It’s open on weekdays from 9 a.m.to 5p.m.
