YOUTH LAW CENTER
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Mission Statement
The Youth Law Center advocates to transform foster care and juvenile justice systems across the nation so every child and youth can thrive.
About This Cause
Youth Law Center (YLC) is a public interest law firm that has worked for four decades to transform foster care and juvenile justice systems across the nation so every child and youth can thrive. YLC’s advocacy aims to ensure children and youth are not only protected from harm and dangerous conditions in systems, but also receive the support, opportunities and love they need to grow up healthy and happy through child-focused, research-informed advocacy strategies, including litigation, policy reform, media advocacy, collaborative system-change projects, training and advice, and public education. YLC has a long history of challenging the systemic injustices of the juvenile delinquency system, both in California and across the nation. Established in 1978, YLC’s advocacy was founded on ending incarceration of children in adult jails, eliminating abusive practices and harmful conditions and destructive practices in juvenile facilities, and ending incarceration of children for status offenses. YLC attorneys have worked to reduce the use of out-of-home care and incarceration; ensure safe and humane conditions in out-of-home placements (including eliminating the use of shackles, isolation, and chemical restraints) and ensure equitable access to basic needs such as health care, education, and contact with family. We advocate for education, medical, mental health, legal and transition supports and services needed to assure children’s success in care and in the community. The goals of our work for children in both the child welfare and juvenile justice system are to ensure that systems are grounded in child and youth development principles and that systems function in a way that minimizes psychological harm to children and disruption of families. Key past organizational accomplishments include: — Developing and implementing stronger state and national standards governing the care and treatment of youth in institutional detention settings; — Successfully drafting and advocating for laws that protect youth in the juvenile justice system from unfair school disciplinary policy and from being forced to enroll in alternative schools; — Successfully drafting, advocating for and implementing probation-related portions of California law extending foster care to 21 for youth; — Implementing a model project in 75 jurisdictions in 11 states, including 25 California counties, to expand the capacity of child welfare agencies to attract and retain caregivers able to provide excellent care to children; — Developing and implementing a parenting and visitation project for incarcerated teen parents in 3 states; — Reducing and eliminating the use of inappropriate congregate care through various strategies in a number of locations throughout the country; — Providing education and technical assistance to juvenile court professionals on how to develop strategies and access funding that could prevent the need for out of home placement or incarceration; and — Using litigation, legislative and public education strategies to prevent youth from being tried and incarcerated as adults. Our team at YLC reflects the diverse experience and skills we need to be successful in our advocacy. Our team’s backgrounds include: lawyers, former system involved youth, foster and adoptive parents, former California child welfare agency directors, a former juvenile court judge, former agency staff and former social workers. In addition, YLC has a strong leadership team (with over 60 combined years at YLC) to guide and direct the work and ensure we achieve our mission of positive outcomes for system-involved children and youth. Our team consists of 7 attorneys, 3 coordinators, an Executive Director, a Director of Strategic Initiatives, and is governed by an active 15-member Board of Directors. Our Board serves as a thought partner in our work and is comprised of attorneys, innovators, former foundation leaders, and field leaders who provide guidance on governance, strategy and innovation.