By By Adam Prestridge
Children are near and dear to Escambia County District Judge Dave Jordan’s heart.
He works with youth on a daily basis as he presides over the county’s juvenile court, which aims to steer children who have had discipline problems in the right direction.
Monday, Jordan showed his dedication to the development of children with a $2,000 donation to the Friends of Education of Escambia County Alabama Foundation’s HIPPY program at Annie’s Community Cup.
HIPPY, an acronym for Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters, is in its first year and is being implemented in Atmore first, but plans are in place to go countywide once funding is available. HIPPY Coordinator Dianne Rose said the amount of the donation was a pleasant surprise.
Jordan explained that the money was made available through the Escambia County Juvenile Court Fund, which is at the discretion of the juvenile court judge (Jordan) to use in ways that benefit children and youth of Escambia County.
The money that goes into the Juvenile Court Fund is generated from assessment fees tied to juvenile court fees.
As for the HIPPY program, Rose said things could not be going better.
The program, which runs 30 weeks, will end this year with a graduation in July, after it started in mid-November. The program typically begins right after the county school year and follows the school system’s schedule, but some delays were faced in its start up this year.