COVID-19 grant funding supports family access to legal system

At the Fort Atkinson Public Library

At the Fort Atkinson Public Library, from left to right: Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Bennett J. Brantmeier; Fort Atkinson Library Director Eric Robinson; County Administrator Ben Wehmeier; and CJCC/Treatment Court Coordinator Craig Holler.

Federal COVID-19 program funding is helping connect Wisconsin families with technology and physical space to make it easier for them to work their way through the legal system.

The Children’s Court Improvement Program (CCIP) received federal funding through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 to help ensure the safety, permanence, and well-being needs of children are met in a timely and complete manner.

These funds are being utilized to support the courts, child welfare agencies, and attorneys as they continue to operate in a remote or hybrid environment. To date, a total of 39 counties have purchased or are in the process of purchasing equipment with the grant funds.

The equipment has been used to set up remote access spaces that enable parties without access to such technology to participate virtually in court hearings, communicate with their attorneys, participate in family interaction, and access other case services.

The technology is being made available in a variety of spaces, such as courthouses, county child welfare agencies, shelter facilities, and libraries.

“By strategically placing tablets at libraries within the community, more doors will open for all parents in child welfare cases to remotely access hearings, family centered therapy, parent partner, and attorney meetings, which in turn will return the children to their homes sooner,” said Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Bennett J. Brantmeier, a member of the Wisconsin Judicial Committee on Child Welfare.

Circuit courts have also used the grant funds to purchase video conferencing equipment to assist with conducting hearings, treatment court meetings, mediation sessions, settlement/pretrial conferences, and permanency reviews in a hybrid appearance setting.

For example, Washburn County installed equipment to facilitate appearances in cases assigned to out-of-county judges, said Judge Angeline E. Winton, Washburn County Circuit Court.

“As many of our CHIPS, JIPS, and other child-related cases have Zoom appearances, this is going to be of amazing benefit to Washburn County,” Winton said.

If you would like to know more about how these funds are being use or are interested in funding for your county, please contact Bridget Mauerman at: bridget.mauerman@wicourts.gov or 608-267-1958. Requests for funding will be considered in the order they are received.

Return to issue home

Third Branch eNews is an online monthly newsletter of the Director of State Courts Office. If you are interested in contributing an article about your department’s programs or accomplishments, contact your department head. Information about judicial retirements and judicial obituaries may be submitted to: Sara.Foster@wicourts.gov