We fund critical services for children and families in high-conflict custody cases, making healing possible.
These aren’t just court cases-they’re childhoods. For some children, KidSide is their only chance to feel safe, seen, and supported.
High-conflict family court cases—like divorce, domestic violence, or abuse—can be devastating for children. Without proper support, they face more than legal stress. Prolonged disputes often lead to lasting harm, including academic struggles, emotional trauma, substance abuse, and even suicide.
Children from low-income families are especially vulnerable. Their families often can’t afford the court-ordered services—like therapy, evaluations, or supervised visitation—needed to support healing.
KidSide fills that gap.
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, KidSide funds critical services for families referred by Family Court Services, a unit within Miami-Dade’s 11th Judicial Circuit. Family Court Services identifies the appropriate providers and coordinates care. KidSide does not select providers or deliver services directly—we simply ensure those services are paid for when families cannot afford them.
These services help families in crisis move forward and protect children from falling through the cracks of an underfunded system.
Without KidSide, many children would go without care, without answers, and without a chance to heal.
Giving Kids a Voice and Families a Chance to Heal
Judge Scott Bernstein explain KidSide
KidSide’s impact on children and families
A Father’s Lifeline: How KidSide brought this family together
Our History Over
Two Decades of Standing with Families in Crisis
Our Story: Bridging the Gap in Family Court
KidSide was founded in 2000 to support Family Court Services in Miami-Dade County—the only in-house family court unit of its kind in Florida—by funding critical services for families in high-conflict custody cases. From the start, our mission has been clear: ensure that children and parents who cannot afford court-ordered services still receive the support they need to heal and move forward.
What Family Court Services Can and Can’t Provide
Family Court Services offers essential in-house support, including supervised visitation, parenting coordination, and crisis intervention for families navigating divorce, domestic violence, addiction, abuse, or custody disputes.
However, these in-house services are limited and often prioritized for emergency situations. For most court-ordered needs—like therapy, psychological evaluations, reunification support, or drug testing—families must be referred to licensed outside providers. Many of these services come at a cost that families simply cannot afford.
A Response to Underfunded Courts
In 2008, court budgets were drastically reduced following the recession, and many supportive services were scaled back or eliminated. As a result, KidSide became a critical funding lifeline, stepping in to ensure that essential services could still be delivered—even when the court system could no longer provide them.
What We Fund—and How It Works
Today, KidSide covers the costs of a wide range of court-ordered services, including:
- Individual and family therapy
- Reunification therapy
- Parenting coordination and co-parenting sessions
- Psychological evaluations and substance abuse assessments
- DNA and hair follicle drug testing
- Social investigations and home studies
All families are referred to KidSide through Family Court Services. KidSide does not select the providers or deliver care directly—we simply ensure those services are paid for.
A Lasting Impact on Families and the Court System
With the leadership of judges, magistrates, attorneys, and other professionals who witness these challenges firsthand, KidSide has become a trusted partner in Miami-Dade’s Family Court system. In addition to funding direct services, we invest in the infrastructure and morale of FCS—revamping visitation rooms, providing essential tools, and helping the system serve families with greater compassion and dignity.
About Kidside
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A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the division of consumer services by calling toll-free within the state. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by the state.