Circuit court to begin family drug recovery program

The court's practical approach means participants might get their driver's licenses one day and learn to write a shopping list on another, she said.

"They will work very, very hard," Harrington said.

The program's ultimate goal is to unite parents with children in safe, stable homes, Harrington and Kraese said.

"If we can see these parents have no more [Child Protective Services] involvement, then that would be significant," Kraese said.

According to the National Drug Court Institute, nationwide results show family recovery courts increase the likelihood children will be reunited with their parents. Kraese and Harrington said that means the courts save taxpayers money, because keeping a child in foster care costs nearly $750 per month, on average, in Charles.

Maryland has five family drug courts; as of December 2009, 322 such courts existed nationwide, Kraese said.

For information about the family recovery court, call Kraese at 301-932-3333.