Login | September 30, 2026
Summit County courthouse debuts first-of-its-kind program in Ohio
Brian Donahue
Legal News Reporter
Published: September 25, 2026
Judge Katarina Cook, administrative judge for the Summit County Court of Common Pleas, has rolled out a special program that serves the families of Summit County in a unique way.
Cook, along with the court, has introduced the Children and Parents Empowered (C.A.P.E.) program.
This program helps ensure that every child that comes through the court system has a voice, is heard, and is well cared for as they navigate court proceedings that are typically out of their control. It seeks to make sure that children have the opportunity to understand the process, understand the role of the judge, and to receive the help they need to work through it all.
That’s according to Cook, who is enthusiastic about this program and about the person they have brought on board to help facilitate this program to the children and.
Gracie Nielsen is a certified child life specialist who will be a key role of this program for Summit County families.
“The goal is to minimize trauma for these kids,” Cook said. Many of these proceedings take anywhere from weeks to months to process and work through and the stress that can be placed upon the kids is immense.
“Many of these kids come away with the feeling that the divorce their parents are working through is their fault,” Cook said.
The program is designed to help the kids process what’s happening and to educate them on the process.
“Just as a child life specialist at a pediatric hospital would help a child going through long-term care normalize the hospital experience, Gracie will do the same for the children and families that come through our court,” Cook said.
“As far as we can tell, this is a first-of-its-kind for Ohio,” Cook added.
Nielsen’s role will be to aid the children and their families, when needed, understand what’s happening in the courtroom. She will also provide resources for the family in meeting needs outside of the courtroom.
According to Nielsen, a lack of practical needs being met often contributes to the breakdown of any given situation. Providing resources that can meet those needs is an important part of caring for the families that come through the court system.
Education of what happens and why inside a courtroom is a vital part of helping these families, especially the children.
“I see myself as a kind of teacher for these kids. I want them to know what my role is, what divorce means, and what a lawyer does. I want to make sure their perception of the law or the court system isn’t negatively impacted because of their experience,” Cook said.
While describing her hopes for this program, Cook added “Sometimes the kids can feel left behind. They don’t get a chance to learn and speak freely about what they’re going through.”
That’s where Nielsen comes in. She hopes that the holistic approach they are taking in caring for the children will be beneficial to the families in the long run.
“Reminding the parents of their kids’ needs is key and then giving them the actual places they can go to get the help they need for other resources so they don’t have to do the research is really important, as well,” Nielsen said.
Cook and her team are also working to secure funding to provide guardian ad litems for these families, which could also be an extremely helpful tool to aid in the entire process, according to Cook.
Guardian ad litems can be expensive, and many families that come through her court simply cannot afford them. This grant would open the door to many more families receiving much-needed help while aiding the court in making educated and well-balanced decisions in these already hard cases.
Both Cook and Nielsen are very positive about this new program for the Summit County Court and believe that the families who come through this court system will benefit greatly.
One of Cook’s goals is to see families, and children in particular, move past their time in court with the most positive outlook. She hopes they will find the resources and tools they need to thrive once their cases have been decided and resolved.
But she’s not just hoping on a wing and a prayer that this will happen. Summit County is putting money and additional resources into play in a way that will make a significant impact on families who need these resources.