At the Clay County Courthouse, a stressful and often confusing experience for children is now being met with a small sense of comfort. Clay County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jeremy Cocayne has been working to improve children’s experiences at the courthouse by offering stuffed animals and small toys to provide comfort during often- stressful visits. What began as a personal gesture has expanded into a partnership with Hillcrest Hope Thrift Store, enabling the initiative to support hundreds of children. Working inside the courthouse, Cocayne said the environment itself can be overwhelming for children who are often unsure of what is happening around them. In many situations, he noted, children arrive already overwhelmed by the environment around them. “We were having a lot of parents bringing kids into the courts and a lot of times, the kids are here because their parents are in trouble, or it could be a situation where the kids are victims of a crime, so there’s a lot of emotio...