Me and the Judge

Several weeks ago I was invited to have lunch, which was later re-scheduled for coffee, with Judge Darlene Byrne of the 126th District Court. I was rather surprised to receive such an invitation and did some fishing around to find out why this person would want to meet with me. Of course, I know Judge Byrne but I doubt she knew me. You see Judge Byrne was the family court judge for Malia's case. If memory serves correct, I made some colorful remarks about the judge's rulings in Malia's case, but all of that is over now. It was time to focus on coffee.

In the midst of a major winter storm watch, I drove across Austin to meet the Honorable Judge Darlene Byrne for what reason I wasn't exactly sure. She arrived exactly on time and while much older than Judging Amy, I had a flash of my favorite television show where Amy was the female judge of family court with her mother as a CPS worker.

Judge Byrne introduced herself and we chatted for a while, getting to know one another. She is from Alabama and I am from Mississippi. I am a foster parent and adoptive parent and she is a family court judge deciding the fate of many children. Both of us are passionate about the welfare of children in our care. The judge came right to the point and asked me to consider joining the disproportionality committee of the Model Court in Travis County (Austin).

Wow! I was impressed. I feel very honored. I feel like the work I am doing on behalf of adoptive families may be worthwhile for more reasons than I thought. Judge Byrne explained this is a court appointed position with a tremendous amount of influence and the opportunity to make change in the foster care system of our state. Wow! Could she possibly have the wrong person? I'm just a mom. A mom without a job. A mom who does more than you can imagine for zero dollars. A mom who doesn't want to stop working on any of my projects in order to maintain a job, but has to pay the mortgage at the same time. I need a paycheck but how could I tell the Judge no when I feel so strongly about the kiddos in care?

Instead I told her I would think about it, which is what I am doing. You and I both know I am going to say yes, but that mortgage thing is still an issue. The committee meets once a month for 1 hour and there are tasks to do in between meetings, but I don't think too much time is involved. I really want to do it. I want to make a difference. I want to make the world a better place for my children. I also want a paycheck. Couldn't there be a way to earn some money by writing a book, creating a non-profit, facilitating workshops, leading a parenting group, and now possibly writing a children's book with my cousin illustrating it? Anyone? Anyone?

In the meantime, I will marinate on how to follow my heart's desire to make the world a better place and make money at the same time.

Q: What does disproportionality mean?
A: According to Juvenile and Family Justice Today (Summer 2008), "Research has demonstrated that children and families of color are disproportionately represented in the child welfare system and frequently experience disparate and inequitable service provision."

This means there are more children of color in foster care than white children and they often receive the short end of the stick in terms of services and reunification with family. In Austin, the African American population constitutes 18% of the total population of the city and yet 40% of the children in foster care are African American. Let that soak in a minute. This is a problem across our country, not just in Austin.

Q: What is a model court?
A: "The Model Courts Project provides judges, attorneys, and numerous other professionals who work in the courts and child welfare agencies with practical, concrete, and effective tools for improving court performance in the handling of child abuse and neglect cases," according to a publication by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.

The disproportionality committee makes recommendations to Judge Byrne about how children of color are treated in the system and by the judges deciding the course of their lives. I would be asked to speak about my experience as an adoptive parent in the system.

Sounds really smart, doesn't it? Sounds really important to me. Stay tuned for more updates on me and the Judge.