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Free Day Care Launches Inside 26th Street Courthouse

 The free drop-in center can house up to 27 kids from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Leighton Criminal Courthouse Day Care Opens
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COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — Starting Thursday, some parents will have access to free day care inside the Leighton Criminal Courthouse at 26th Street and California Avenue.

The first floor "children's advocacy room" can house up to 27 kids ages two to 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.

Three full-time staffers will oversee reading, arts-and-crafts projects and computer usage while the kids' parents attend mandated court hearings. Children are admitted on a first come, first served basis; the drop-in center is free.

"We see this facility of an extension of the Circuit Court of Cook County's commitment to fairness and justice," Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans said at a news conference Wednesday.

"It's an acknowledgement that the children who come here — whether they come here with [defendants] or witnesses — are as precious as children anywhere in this county," the judge continued. "We want them to be in a safe environment, a wholesome environment."

The day care is the ninth of its kind in Cook County, following similar efforts at juvenile courthouses and in suburbs like Skokie and Bridgeview.

Evans expects to roll out a 10th center in Rolling Meadows in the near future. The cost of that day care, paired with recent renovations at the 26th and California site, is roughly $1 million, he said.

Parents hoping to leave their kids at the new day care will need a photo ID and two emergency contacts — should the parent be jailed for any reason (e.g. a probation violation), according to Sylvia McCullum, director of children's advocacy rooms.

The colorful day care, lined with books and toys, is replacing a snack shop at 2650 S. California Ave. Construction and planning have taken more than a year.

"It's certainly another step, I think, in the journey that we all take when we talk about criminal-justice reform," said LeRoy K. Martin, Jr., the presiding judge at 26th Street. "We recognize that we are all public servants, and ... there are people here who need these services."

In central bond court, family members with young children are often asked to leave the gallery when a child cries or acts up. Adults appearing before judges don't always have access to affordable child care, Evans said.

"Children might cry or that kind of thing," he said, "but our main concern is: We want to shield the children from the circumstances that may have caused their parents to be here. Whether [the parents are defendants] or witnesses ... we want to shield the children from those kinds of experiences, trauma of all kinds."

McCullum doesn't expect the 27-child cap to be a problem since hearings are staggered throughout the day.