The ISBA Young Lawyers Division Children's Assistance Fund has awarded three grants to help establish new supervised courthouse waiting rooms for children of witnesses and litigants.

They are $5,000 for Boone County in the 17th Circuit, and $3,000 each for Cook County's 2nd Municipal District in north suburban Skokie and 5th Municipal District in southwest suburban Bridgeview.

The Boone County Board recently approved a proposal to remodel office space in the Belvidere courthouse and make improvements that include construction of a children's waiting room on the same floor as the circuit clerk.

The anticipated cost of the waiting room project is $23,000, which includes installing a floor in the space. Funds are also sought for purchasing toys, furniture, a television set and other items.

The Cook County Office of Capital Planning and Policy applied for the two suburban courthouse waiting room grants. Budgets are $350,000 in the 2nd District and $330,000 in the 5th District.

Officials anticipated starting the design phases this summer, with three to four months of construction to begin during the first quarter of 2008.

The establishment of more children's waiting rooms has been a focus of ISBA President Irene F. Bahr. A task force headed by Angela Imbierowicz has assembled materials to help judicial circuits and bar associations plan safe havens in courthouses.