Children’s Waiting Room at Arnason Justice Center Now Open!

At long last, the Contra Costa Superior Court has opened the doors of our new Children’s Waiting Room! This bright and cheerful room, located to the side of the shared space occupied by the self help center and public law library at the Arnason Justice Center in Pittsburg, is a safe and engaging place for children to hang out while their parent or guardian is in the courthouse.

In the first two weeks of March, the new Children’s Waiting Room has hosted 57 children between the ages of two and 12 years old for an average of about 45 minutes each. During that time, these children had access to age-appropriate toys, games, computer and video materials, and snacks – and were relieved of the responsibility to “sit still and be quiet” while in the courthouse!

Children's waiting room at the Arnason Justice Center in Pittsburg

The waiting room is staffed by two trained caretakers from Kidango, an experienced court-based child care provider. Kidango’s caretakers meet stringent training and education requirements, and have done a wonderful job of turning their compact area into a place that kids really enjoy. Funding for this waiting room comes from a portion of dedicated civil filing fees that have been accumulating in a trust account for just this purpose.