Our Programs > Juvenile Court Judges Program
“PVF has made my job as a juvenile court judge much more satisfying. The support that PVF provides on an individualized basis for the abused and neglected children in my court brightens my day and makes the lives of these children much more livable. I am so thankful for all that PVF does.” - Leonard Edwards, Former Juvenile Court Judge, Superior Court, Santa Clara County.
The Juvenile Judges Program grew from PVF Staff’s observation that a community’s most vulnerable children appear before judges in Juvenile Dependency and Delinquency courts on a daily basis. These judges are in an ideal position to identify critical needs, that if addressed immediately, can make a profound difference in the life of a child. PVF contacted juvenile judges in the seven county San Francisco Bay Area and offered them discretionary funds to call upon to meet the needs of the youth that appear before them. PVF wrote grant proposals to various foundations to obtain funding for the Program, resulting in consecutive grants to fund this Program.
The impact is significant. The judges’ ability to identify needs and address them on the spot can stop a problem from turning into a crisis. PVF responds to the judges’ grant requests immediately, issuing funding within 48 hours.
The Judges’ requests are varied, but rarely have a large price tag:
- $54 to obtain a bus pass for a 16-year old girl in foster care who had obtained a summer job and enrolled in summer school but had no money for transportation.
- $25 to activate an emergency cell phone for a mother and daughter living together in a safe, confidential location after being harassed by the father who was recently released serving a prison term for spousal abuse, to provide them with the comfort of a means of communication should an incident arise.
- $100 to start a savings account for a young man who has struggled with mental health problems throughout his time before the juvenile court, who recently “graduated” from juvenile court and was placed in an adult mental health program. The judge wanted to extend this gesture “to help confirm in the young man’s mind that there are people in the world who care and who keep their promises.”
- $200 for science camp for a young girl in foster care whose discovery of science caused her to refocus on school and eliminate destructive behavior.
- $500 to enable a high school junior to go on the Black College Tour. As Judge Edwards writes, “Cory has started to grow up and suddenly is a star. Cory belongs in college.”
Established in 1999, the impact of the Juvenile Judges Program is becoming well known throughout the country and others are using the PVF model to create similar programs in their own communities. Participating judges are encouraging colleagues throughout the U.S. to partner with donors to create local Juvenile Judges Programs. Several Community Foundations have contacted PVF, interested in establishing a Juvenile Judges Program in their region.
In his 21 years as presiding judge in
With case workers conferring and advocating on behalf of dependent children, parents receive the support that can make the difference in successful reunification, and children have a better chance of leading happier, more productive lives. Judge Edwards, who retired from the bench in 2006 to work as a consultant to the state judicial system, remains one of the strongest voices of encouragement for collaboration.
When PVF Director Bill Somerville first met Judge Edwards in 1996, he asked, “What more can we be doing to help the youth in your court?” The outcome of this meeting of creative minds was the
Judge Edwards’ pioneering work has shaped PVF’s Juvenile Court Judges Program, which now serves juvenile court judges in seven San Francisco Bay Area counties.