Family Treatment Court Helps Children and Their Families

By Donna Bain
Staff Writer

The Children’s Policy Council held its quarterly meeting on Tuesday, January 7, 2023. The council is made up of different stakeholders who are involved in the care of children who are in foster care. Pickens County has recently implemented a Family Treatment Court for parents of families who have lost custody of their children because of addiction. District Judge Lance Bailey gave the program during this meeting on the new voluntary Family Treatment Court.
“One or both parents must have a substance abuse issue, and the children to be taken for Family Treatment Court to kick in,” said District Judge Lance Bailey. “Anyone can come in, and they don’t have to have a charge against them. It doesn’t necessarily have to go through the Department of Human Resources although the majority of our cases do go through DHR. It never was intended to take the place of DHR and the services they provide, but it does help in many different ways.”