The Family Treatment Court will hold its second graduation ceremony for its program to assist mothers to overcome drug addiction in a residential setting where they live with their children. The graduating women have completed a 6-month comprehensive program in which they not only received drug treatment, but also learned about healthful lifestyles for themselves and their children. Because the children have lived in the treatment facility with their mothers, the families are able to avoid 'family reunification' concerns that can occur when children are put in temporary care situations. In addition, the youngest children have been in an educational day care program and the older children attended their regular school during the daytime hours while their mothers were in treatment sessions.  

WHAT: Family Treatment Court graduation  

WHERE: St. Elizabeth's Chapel  2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave, SE  

WHEN: Saturday, March 20, 2004 - 11am  

WHO: The Honorable Rufus G. King III, Chief Judge, DC Superior Court  The Honorable Lee F. Satterfield, Presiding Judge of Family Court  The Honorable Anita Josey-Herring,  Deputy Presiding Judge of Family Court  and Family Treatment Court Judge  

NOTE: The judges, the director of the program, and several of the graduates will be available after the ceremony for on-camera interviews, if desired.