Judge Daniel Petrie who presides over Montgomery County Superior Court II talked to the Crawfordsville Kiwanis membership about the new Family Recovery Court, which was launched by Petrie in the fall of 2022.
The Family Recovery Court helps those parents, who have agreed to participate, to overcome issues such as substance abuse to work towards reunifying them with their children who, in many cases, have been taken away from the family through the child welfare system.
Rachel Oldham, a probation officer for Montgomery County, coordinates the program for the court.
Since the system is so new there have been some minor successes but both Petrie and Oldham are looking forward to more participation and growth in this project to see the success that other counties around the US have seen.
Speakers such as Petrie visit weekly at the Crawfordsville Kiwanis Club meetings. Visit any Thursday at 11:45 a.m. on the lower level of the Crawfordsville District Public Library.
