There is talk of creating a Juvenile Drug Court program in Warren County if grant funding can be approved.

The county’s Adult Treatment Court started 10 years ago. As Matt Gernold, Treatment Court supervisor, recently told The Times Observer, court officials see people at their low points and then, as they proceed through the program, see them accomplish goals even the court participants thought were impossible.

We would like to see grant funding approved for a Juvenile Drug Court, though that is an admittedly uphill climb for 2021 given that there are only six such courts in the entire state and the fact the state will be dealing with the effects of COVID-19 for a couple of years.

There is no doubt that the court will help improve the lives of many young people in our county if it were created, if only because treating addiction may be easier at a younger age.

It’s disheartening to see that there is a need for a Juvenile Drug Court, but it’s something that should be added to our county’s court system if funding can be secured.