A one-year grant of up to $40,000 is available to launch a Family Court Project. The grant is an opportunity for county governments to get funding for a project that provides judicial coordination of multiple cases involving the same family.

Last year, only two new projects received funding for the 2008 year, so the Indiana Supreme Court had an extra $40,000 to include in the 2009 budget, said Loretta Olesky, Family Court manager. Typically, the grants run on two-year cycles; however, because this money is considered extra, it will be offered as a one-year grant, she said.

The Supreme Court will accept grant proposals for new programs based on existing ones as well as proposals that focus on special-need areas such as drug programming or truancy. Indiana currently has 23 counties with Family Court Projects ranging from alternative dispute resolution to assistance for families without attorneys.

The deadline for grant proposals is Sept. 1. Olesky is available to help counties with the application process and work with applicant counties in person. For questions about the grant or for assistance in developing a grant proposal, contact Olesky at (317) 233-0784 or lolesky@courts.state.in.us. More information about the Family Court Project can be found at http://www.in.gov/judiciary/family-court/.