San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin on Tuesday announced the creation of a diversion program for primary caregiver parents of minor children — his first policy since being sworn in last week, and an issue that’s personal.

Boudin is the son of incarcerated parents, who were imprisoned when he was an infant for acting as getaway drivers in an armored car robbery in upstate New York in 1981 that left two police officers and a security guard dead.

“I grew up visiting my parents behind bars,” Boudin said in a statement announcing the policy. “I know the kind of trauma the sudden loss of a parent can have on a child and the kind of resources that are needed to make that child whole again. This is about taking responsibility, protecting the sanctity of the family, and ensuring innocent children are not condemned to repeat the mistakes of their parents.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom cleared the way for courts to create the new diversion program — which is optional for every county — when he signed SB 394 in October. The law, authored by Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, allows diversion for primary caregivers of minor children under certain circumstances, much like the mental health and drug diversion programs already in place in San Francisco.

The bill’s goal was to reduce the physical, emotional, and psychological problems that come from a child’s separation from a parent, along with the potential for a generational cycle of incarceration.

Under the city’s new program, all misdemeanors are eligible for diversion along with felonies that are not serious or violent. A defendant does not qualify if they are accused of committing a crime against the child they care for. The court must also determine the defendant does not pose a risk of danger to public safety.

Boudin directed his prosecutors to encourage all eligible defendants to participate in the program. If a defense attorney requests a referral to the program and it’s eligible under the statue, prosecutors will not object, said Paula Lehman-Ewing, a spokeswoman for the office.

The policy will suspend criminal proceeding for 6 to 24 months while a defendant goes through the program that may include parenting classes, anger management, job training, drug and alcohol treatment, and counseling.

If the defendant completes the program successfully, the court will dismiss the criminal charges.

Under the statute, only defendants who are the parent or legal guardian of a minor child and who live in the same home and provide care and financial support for the child qualify for the program.

Opponents of the law, though, raised questions about the kinds of crimes that may now qualify for diversion — including misdemeanor domestic violence and sex crimes.

The California District Attorney’s Association opposed the law, and sent a letter to Skinner last year highlighting its potential consequences.

A misdemeanor charge of contacting a minor with the intent to commit a sexual offense, for example, requires an offender to register as a sex offender and future violations carry state prison terms. “Under SB 394, however, there may be no conviction and thus no registration requirement,” Larry Morse, the association’s Director of Legislation, wrote in the letter.

The new policy was also met with concern from some in the district attorney’s office. A source high up in office, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, is “terrified for current and future victims, particularly women and children in abusive homes.”

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky