NOTE: The CourtCare program in the Central Courthouse is open Monday through Friday. Childcare is available from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Information for parents and guardians.
About Multnomah CourtCare
"I am so glad that the Judge told me to bring the kids down here when things went kind of crazy in the courtroom. I didn't know this room was here, but this is such a great place, and also the kids didn't have to hear anymore of what was going on with me and their Dad upstairs. When I came back, it was such a relief to find them so happy and playing with the other kids. They were also very excited to tell me all about the snacks they had, and they love the books that they got to take home...so special."
-Parent feedback taken from an exit interview
Multnomah CourtCare(c) is a project of the Multnomah Bar Foundation (MBF) that improves access to justice by making free, drop-in childcare available for families who have business at the court. The program is located in the downtown Central Courthouse.
CourtCare is operated by Volunteers of America Oregon and serves 80 to 100 children and their families each month, caring for more than 18,000 children since opening in December 2001. In addition to being a safe, convenient location for parents to leave their children, this program reduces the number of rescheduled court appointments and removes the potential that children might witness conflicts or disrupt court business. While the program receives some public funding, it depends primarily on the financial support of the legal community, which contributes through the MBF. The MBF is tax exempt under section 501(c)(3), and contributions are tax deductible.
What Kids are Saying about CourtCare
"Thank you for helping me make money for the cash register and for coming to my store we made. And thank you for eating my sandwich I made you. And I told my Mom that you would save my Batman for me, because I forgot him last time, she didn't think so, but I knew you would." (from a seven-year-old boy who loves playing "restaurant")
"I love you can make my baby brother quiet. He is always bugging me. Can you come to my house and hold onto him so I can build things? I wish we can bring you and the blocks to home."
"What I like is puzzles. I love them here so good because you guys always help me to stick them together, and I get to do all of them I want. You never get mad at me." (from a six-year-old)
Please Consider a Charitable Donation to the Multnomah Bar Foundation
People who have business at the courthouse, but are without options for childcare, may bring their children, six weeks to 12 years of age, to CourtCare and be assured their children will be safe and well cared for while they attend to matters in the courthouse. Your donation to the MBF will help CourtCare continue to make a positive difference:
- in the lives of the children who are welcomed into a cheerful place where they are sheltered from adult issues in court;
- in the lives of these children's families, who know that their children have a safe place to stay, free-of-charge, while they conduct their business in the courthouse;
- and in the administration of justice, because courts operate more efficiently without the interruptions created by having children in the courtrooms and hallways.
To make a tax-deductible contribution, please use the "Donate Now" button at the top of the page, send a check to the Multnomah Bar Foundation, 620 SW 5th Avenue, Suite 1220, Portland OR 97204, or contact Pamela Hubbs (503.854.5237, pamela@mbabar.org) for other giving options. Every dollar helps, and we appreciate contributions of any size.
Thank you for your support!