JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Supreme Court of Missouri’s civic education committee has published Kids in Missouri Courts, a new activity and coloring book designed to help children learn about and become more comfortable with our state courts.
“Missouri’s courthouses are open and inviting to all, but going to court can be intimidating and downright scary for a child,” Supreme Court of Missouri Chief Justice W. Brent Powell said. “This fear can occur whether the child is at the center of a case involving custody or a parent’s abuse or neglect, but it also can happen when a child is called to be a witness in court or even just accompanies an adult to court. So we developed this book – designed from a child’s perspective, to be fun and engaging – to help caring adults prepare children to go to court.”
Through a series of games, coloring pages, and other activities, the booklet helps children learn what happens in court, who works in a court, and what rules there will be to follow.
“This project was inspired by a teacher preparing to bring her elementary students to visit with a local judge at their St. Francois County courthouse,” committee chair Joe Goff, an attorney in St. Louis, explained. “She asked Judge Patrick L. King if there was a resource she could use, in advance of their visit, to give her students an idea of who they would see and what happens in court. Finding no such resource, Judge King brought this idea to the civic education committee.
“One of our members – retired Supreme Court of Missouri Judge Patricia Breckenridge, long a zealous advocate for civic education – dove headfirst into the project, bringing together a passionate team to develop an activity book for children,” Goff continued. “I am so thankful for the leadership and devotion of Judges Breckenridge and King and the creativity and talents of everyone who made this project into reality. I am proud of the new activity and coloring book, which will be an exemplary resource for Missouri children going to court for any reason.”
Access the new Kids in Missouri Courts book online from the Discover Missouri Courts civic education website.