Juvenile & Family Court Division

Important Updates as of 11/30/20 - COVID-19

Significant changes are currently impacting all our lives because of the COVID-19 outbreak. in order to keep the safety and health of your family and Jefferson County citizens in the forefront of our thoughts, and in light of the recommendations of the CDC, requirements implemented by Governor Inslee, county administration, and the local public health department, we will be modifying our practices in the following ways:

  • All parents and reporting youth must wear a face mask or face covering before entering the courthouse. Extra masks are provided by security if you do not have a mask. All Juvenile Services staff are required to wear a mask when meeting with youth and families. 
  • Youth will now report in person to their Juvenile Probation Counselor (JPC). This reporting can be done through home visits, Courthouse County Park visits or scheduled courthouse visits. Your child’s JPC will be in touch with your child by telephone or text and arrange a reporting schedule. 
  • Our group programs will be in person, online, or postponed until further notice. Functional Family Therapy will continue on a modified basis, using teletherapy when feasible. Marcus Farley will be in touch with your family about these arrangements if you are currently involved in FFT. CONNECT (COS) will continue by way of ZOOM. Kelli Parcher and Kristina Whipple will be in touch regarding this program. Educational Employment Training (EET) will continue in person at the Northwest Maritime Center. Darrell Thomas the facilitator/instructor will be in touch regarding this program. I-Act will continue to function in person, Shannon Burns and Kelli Parcher will be in touch regarding this program. Aggression Replacement Training (ART) will not be happening at this time and will be postponed for the foreseeable future. 
  • JPC will discuss with you how we can continue to support certain service needs your child may have, such as treatment, counseling, drug testing, and so on. 
  • We will reduce the number of court hearings scheduled. If you have a current court hearing, please contact your JPC and your attorney immediately and discuss whether you need to appear in court in person or court call. 
  • We will not be providing direct transportation for youth unless specifically arranged with your child’s JPC. 
  • We will be available by telephone to discuss any issues related to your child’s case plan. Additionally, if you have questions about situations that might come up during this time involving the behavior of your child, we are available to talk those through with you!

GAL Updates

  • GALs can participate in dependency court via ZOOM or telephone until further notice.

Health and Safety Reminders

  • Explain to your child what a pandemic is and how important it is for them to abide by our country’s and community’s rules to reduce the spread of the disease. 
  • Limit the contact you and your children have with neighbors, relatives, and friends (very touch of teenagers!), staying a minimum of 6 feet apart and not being amongst groups of 10 or more people. 
  • Stay in tune with local, state, and federal changes in policies related to COVID-19.
  • If you are feeling sick or are getting sick, stay home. Cover mouth with a tissue when sneezing or coughing, throw the tissue away afterward. 
  • Wash your hands frequently - washing for 20 seconds with soap and warm water. If you are not near water, use hand sanitizer. 
  • Clean frequently touched objects like door handles, keyboards, those cell phones, iPads, remotes, tables, desks, etc. 
  • If staying at home makes your child feel "trapped" and you feel you are constantly hounding them to wash, come up with a place that your child (or you!) can go either in your house or yard to create some separate time and/or space.


Character Trait of the Week

Patience - A willingness to wait and endure without complaint.

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Purpose


The Jefferson County Juvenile and Family Court is a Division of the Superior Court and serves youth and their families in a variety of ways. Most often, contact with this Department is a significant experience in the lives of those involved. In this context, it is our goal to do that which is within our power to see this experience as constructive in nature. The Juvenile and Family Court strives to reflect a climate that encourages positive change, creativity in problem solving, open sharing of ideas, and a general appreciation for children.