The St. Louis County Family Court distinguishes between sanctions (e.g., fees, fines, penalties) and treatment (e.g., therapy, addressing issues preventing a youth from attending school regularly, helping family get utilities turned on). While sanctions are still part of the disposition process, more energy is put into case planning with a youth and their family around treatment issues and adjusting that plan as needed based on progress and external factors. This is believed to help reduce a compliance mindset. Rather than putting the onus on youth and families to ask for adjustments to plans to accommodate the realities of COVID-19, the court took on that responsibility.
