By Michael Phillips | Father & Co.

When families break apart, courts often focus on paperwork, schedules, and compliance. In Vigo County, one judge is asking the harder question: What happens to the children long after the divorce is finalized?

At a recent county meeting, Lakshmi Reddy described a Family Court counseling program that helps parents and children process conflict-related trauma during divorce proceedings. The program includes anger management for adults and trauma counseling for children—many of whom are carrying memories of violence, instability, or chronic fear.

Family Court staff reported more than 140 active cases involving childhood adverse trauma screenings. One example shared involved teenage girls still reliving domestic violence they witnessed years earlier—trauma that had never been addressed.

Judge Reddy warned that without funding, the program could be suspended. She argued that the cost of counseling is modest compared to the lifelong consequences of untreated trauma, including substance abuse, mental health crises, and future court involvement.

The funding question now centers on whether opioid settlement dollars—meant to repair community harm—can be used to help families before children enter the criminal justice or child welfare systems.

For parents navigating divorce, this debate matters. Courts can either react to damage after it’s done—or invest early in keeping families from breaking down further.

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