Pittsburgh Children’s Court Set to Being Video Conference Pilot

July 9th, 2008 by Video Conferencing Expert

Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato and Family Court Administrative Judge Kim Berkeley Clark this morning announced a video conference pilot program for proceedings in Children’s Court. The technology for the program has been secured and funded by a joint effort between Child Watch of Pittsburgh, the Allegheny County Children’s Court, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services and other community organizations.

Allegheny County Executive, Dan Oronato:

This project will reduce the trauma children experience when testifying in abuse and custody cases, as well as reduce expenses and improve efficiency. I want to thank the organizations involved for making this cutting-edge initiative a reality.

Video conferencing in child protection and custody matters will provide Allegheny County and its child welfare system with leading edge videoconference technology and improve court experiences for children. The county’s use of the technology in dependency cases will also occur at non-county sites, such as Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Family Court Administrative Judge, Kim Berkely Clark:

Our goal for this project is simple: to improve court proceedings and enhance participation in the court process, particularly for children who need to feel comfortable and safe. With this project, we hope to minimize the pain of these proceedings for children.

The video conference pilot program is being implemented at eight sites, with the long-term plan for the program expected to expand the system to 36 sites including Children’s Court courtrooms, conference rooms and other county centers.