National Center for Youth Law

Many thanks to Representative Vernetta Alston for your inspiring words about the importance of our advocacy and the impact we can all have on a better future for youth and families. So proud to count you among our amazing NCYL alumni family! Your keynote is a MUST WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krhaQGwi7Jk

Show your support THIS FRIDAY!

Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez: help us provide #Justice4Survivors by passing #AB124 out of the Asm. Appropriations Committee! We need to focus on healing, not punishment.

ACTION ALERT With #SB493 by @SteveBradford, we can ensure #CALeg funds no longer prop up a punitive system that fails youth of color. Instead, we can invest in community-led youth services. Make a 1-minute call to the appropriations committee today! http://bit.ly/sb493approps

Thank you so much to The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation for your generous grant of $500K to support AZ students in Foster Care!

JOIN US TOMORROW! We alongside our community partners will be hosting a virtual briefing of bill AB 366. We'll discuss how #AB366 will support expectant and parenting youth in foster care and share ways that you can get involved in passing this bill. We hope to see you there! May 5th, 2021 from 11AM-12 PM Register here: http://bit.ly/healthyfuturesAB366 #healthyfutures

#AB124 would ensure the full context of the experiences that contributed to a survivor's actions or inactions are considered in court. Survivors deserve a more humanizing and trauma-informed response. #Justice4Survivors Join us in support of this necessary change. https://youthlaw.org/case/justice-for-survivors-2021/

The Reproductive Health Equity Project (RHEP) and our partners are currently working to create a streamlined, easy way for foster youth and their advocates to access online sexual health education. We piloted the curriculum and this is what youth had to say about it... To learn more about our work visit https://fosterreprohealth.org/ and follow us on Twitter @NCYLHealth to stay up to date! #reproductivehealth #sexualhealth #sexed #fosteryouth

Youth often spend too much time on probation with conditions that set them up for failure. AB 503 will #EndEndlessProbation and require that probation terms are limited, developmentally appropriate, and individually tailored to the young person. Join us in support of passing #AB503: http://bit.ly/MeTooAB503 W. Haywood Burns Institute Alliance for Boys and Men of Color Youth Justice Coalition Young Women's Freedom Center Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice

The Reproductive Health Equity Project (RHEP) for Foster Youth is looking to connect with foster parents about their experience as caregivers. Participants will be compensated for their valuable time! For more information on how to get involved visit http://tinyurl.com/rhep-caregiver-groups. Applications close Friday, March 15th!

DeVos made it easier for schools to avoid their responsibilities to keep kids safe from sexual harassment and assault. Sexual harassment has not stopped for the pandemic. We know the Biden Administration is looking at this issue, but there’s no time to wait when children are at risk today. We are proud to partner with Public Justice to represent the Women's Student Union in their bold action.

BREAKING - The California Supreme Court unanimously ruled that 14 & 15 year olds in California are prohibited from being tried as adults, holding a NCYL written law constitutional. #YouthJustice #SB1391 #CareNotCages READ MORE: https://youthlaw.org/california-supreme-court-upholds-law-/

We are accepting applications for California's CSEC Action Team Advisory Board! The CSEC Advisory Board centers the leadership of survivors and people with lived experience with commercial sexual exploitation and/or sex trafficking as a child or youth in shaping policies and practices across California and the country. Click to learn more and share! #centeringsurvivorvoices or #CSECAdvisoryBoard

READ! There has been a resounding call to action by many youth-serving public systems to work in close partnership with districts and schools in order to respond to students’ immediate needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Check out our new report, which reviews how federal policy changes over the past year have impacted immigrant children and presents detailed recommendations on how Congress can legislate a comprehensive set of legal protections for children in federal immigration custody. Congresswoman Karen Bass says, Modernizing the immigration system’s care and treatment of children, to reflect child welfare principles, is long overdue. Children are some of the most vulnerable among us, and we must fulfill our moral and legal obligations to protect their health and safety. The state-sponsored abuse of children that occurred under the previous administration must never be repeated and these recommendations provide a roadmap to achieve this goal. Read the full report here: https://youthlaw.org/publication/a-new-way-forward/

Meet our team working to end the commercial sexual exploitation of youth and create collaborative, youth-centered, trauma-informed responses for youth impacted by exploitation! #HumanTraffickingAwarenessMonth #HTAM2021 #HTAM

Wow. In just five days, we raised $40,942. Thank you and our amazing Board of Directors for your generosity and support. We are more inspired than ever to fight for #childrensrights and amplify #youthpower. THANK YOU! #forourfuture #thrive #NCYLboard

Last Chance! Just $2,315 to go. Be the donor who helps us reach our match goal. Give now to advance youth rights. Visit www.youthlaw.org/donate #forourfuture #childrensrights #thrive #NCYLboard #challengeaccepted

The clock is ticking: 24 hours to raise $4,315! Help us unlock $20,000 in matching gifts from NCYL's Board of Directors. Visit www.youthlaw.org/donate #forourfuture #childrensrights #thrive #NCYLboard #challengeaccepted

Only 3 days left! We have raised $12,983 towards our $20,000 goal!! Donate now to make twice the impact for children and youth rights. Visit www.youthlaw.org/donate and pass it on #forourfuture #childrensrights #thrive #NCYLboard #challengeaccepted

"We’ve always focused our work around addressing systemic problems locally, and leaning on these localized improvements to serve as a blueprint for change in ot...her places across the U.S." We spoke with Jesse Hahnel, Executive Director of the National Center for Youth Law, about the nonprofit's work to advance more just and equitable policies and practices to benefit young people here in Santa Clara County and far beyond. Read how philanthropic capital fuels the organization's innovative work in testing and scaling public system improvements: https://bit.ly/3fU4uVs

$6,300 raised so far, let’s keep it up! Every dollar donated before Friday to NCYL will be matched up to $20,000. Children’s rights cannot wait. Double your impact now! Visit www.youthlaw.org/donate #forourfuture #childrensrights #thrive #NCYLboard #challengeaccepted

We have one more matching opportunity! Our Board of Directors is matching up to $20,000 in donations made now until Friday. Support children’s rights and youth power by supporting NCYL. Visit www.youthlaw.org/donate #forourfuture #childrensrights #thrive #NCYLboard #challengeaccepted

The possibility of continued hate-fueled leadership makes NCYL's fight for children rights more urgent than ever. Fight with us by donating today. www.youthlaw.org/donate #childrensrights #loveouryouth #thrive #forourfuture #youthpower #donate #ncyl #eoy

RECRUITING! The Reproductive Health Equity Project for Foster Youth (RHEP) RHEP is recruiting for its 2021 Youth Advisory Board (YAB). APPLY NOW! YAB will be made up of 10-15 young people with lived experience in foster care that are interested in working on reproductive rights for young people in the foster care system. YAB members will get paid a minimum of $25 dollars/hour to work on a variety of RHEP projects, with the chance to earn up to $1500 over the year. ... RHEP is a partnership of policy experts, community partners, and youth with experience in foster care working to dismantle systemic barriers in an effort to improve access to sexual and reproductive health care services and education for youth in care. Apply here: https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLSc_HJNC0ZhdeLDifN/viewform

No matter what happens with the election next week, NCYL will continue to dismantle structural injustices hurting our children and youth. Join us. www.youthlaw.org/donate #childrensrights #loveouryouth #thrive #forourfuture #youthpower #donate #ncyl #eoy

Adolescence is an exciting time in terms of development, and what youth are learning shapes their worldview and their future. Don’t we want youth to be learning positive lessons? - NCYL's Hannah Benton Eidsath

"I am confident that I will succeed. It’s in the fabric of my makeup." READ this powerful piece by one of LA RHEP's youth advisory board members describing her worsening circumstances amid the pandemic and her refusal to give up. https://imprintnews.org//flourishing-before-flounder/48393... Read more about LA RHEP here!: fosterreprohealth.org

GROUND BREAKING - Congratulations NCYL board member Dr. Okonofua for getting this important work published in Science Advances. Okonofua studied whether a combination of policy and psychological interventions can reduce discipline inequality. It did. Researchers asked, could an intervention that focuses on the consequences of bias via targeted combinations of mindset and policy approaches mitigate stubborn disproportionalities in school discipline? They found that teachers who received the combined intervention were less likely to perceive the student as a troublemaker, to see their misbehavior as indicative of a pattern; and were more likely to feel able to build a strong relationship with that student.

Wow. In 24 hours, we raised $16,375 to advance justice for young people! Thank you and our private sponsor for your generosity and passion for #childrensrights and #youthpower. #grateful #NCYL

Amazing! But we need your HELP. Only $600 until we reach our goal! $600! All gifts are matched today until we raise a total of $15,000. Donate now! https://www.youthlaw.org/donate #childrensrights #youthpower #givingtuesday #NCYL

Ending CA’s ban on affirmative action is the first step to ensuring every Californian regardless of who they are, what they look like, or how they got to CA- an equal chance to succeed. NCYL is happy to endorse Prop 16. #YesOnProp16 this November.

We are excited to launch our annual End of Year Giving Campaign! During these critical times, NCYL has been tirelessly defending the rights of children and youth. Help advance justice in support of young people today. www.youthlaw.org/donate #ChildrensRights #LoveOurYouth #Thrive #ForOurFuture #Donate #NCYL #EOY

We're almost there! We've raised $5,400 already! All gifts are matched until we hit a total of $15,000!! Donate. Pass it on. https://www.youthlaw.org/donate #childrensrights #youthpower #match #givingtuesday #NCYL

Happy #NationalVoterRegistrationDay! Get #VoteReady by registering to vote and making a plan for how to vote safely in your state. https://www.vote411.org/

"I think that especially with the wildfires, what a lot of kids are experiencing is trauma on top of trauma. . . All of these things impact a child's ability to learn." -- California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #endthestigma

Double your impact TODAY! Donations will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $7,500. Help ensure every child thrives and has a full and fair opportunity to achieve the future they envision for themselves. Donate now! https://www.youthlaw.org/donate #childrensrights #youthpower #doubleyourimpact #thrive

We are so EXCITED to see NCYL's Primer on School Health Information Sharing in California turned into such a beautiful and usable website. CHECK IT OUT! CALIFORNIA school and health professionals - learn more about the laws that relate to sharing student/patient information (HIPAA, FERPA and California state law), as well as best practices and resource materials for schools and health providers.

Giving Tuesday is tomorrow! Donations will be MATCHED up to $7,500 by a private family foundation! Support children's rights and youth power by supporting NCYL #childrensrights #loveouryouth #thrive #forourfuture #youthpower #ncyl #givingtuesday #match

DeVos is trying to take $1.5 billion away from public schools that need this money to reopen safely during COVID-19 NCYL and Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc. filed a Motion today to stop her. THE FACTS ARE CLEAR: This is not what Congress intended for schools they voted to support public education during the pandemic, no ifs, ands or buts. #SupportPublicSchools #CARESAct... https://youthlaw.org/case/2020_copaa_v_devos/

Wow. We really just raised $103K in just 5 days!!!! Extra grateful to our MVP @allywalker1 for kicking us off with a $50K challenge match! THANK YOU! #forourfuture #loveouryouth #peoplepower #youthpower #grateful #challengemet #thankyoually

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and the school year begins, students are facing a lot of stress. Ask your school district what mental health supports and services are available to your child, and how to access them. #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth #endstigma

Last Chance! You can be the donor who helps us reach our $50k match goal. Give now to advance youth rights. Visit www.youthlaw.org/donate #forourfuture #childrensrights #thrive #ncyl #challengeaccepted #thankyoually

Attend School Health on the Frontlines Oct. 6-8. Join NCYL's Rebecca Gudeman for her workshop! Learn how school-based health can meet the current challenges facing California’s children and youth. See details and register: bit.ly/CSHAconference.

Will you help us raise $100,000 for youth rights in just one week?? We've got just a little over 24 hours to raise $15K to meet our generous $50,000 challenge match from Ally Walker! Visit http://youthlaw.org/donate to make a difference today #forourfuture #childrensrights #thrive #ncyl #challengeaccepted #thankyoually

Just 3 days left! We have raised $18,750 of our $50k matching challenge from Ally Walker! Donate now to make twice the impact for children and youth rights. Visit http://youthlaw.org/donate and pass it on #forourfuture #childrensrights #thrive #ncyl #challengeaccepted #thankyoually

The pandemic has heightened the complexity in serving students experiencing homelessness. Yet, they are largely invisible in district reopening plans. Districts that want to close long-standing equity gaps simply cannot do this work without placing these students at the center of their problem-solving.

Exciting news! Ally Walker is challenging you to join the fight for children’s rights. All donations made through Friday will be matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR. Visit www.youthlaw.org/donate #forourfuture #childrensrights #thrive #ncyl #challengeaccepted #thankyoually

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and the school year begins, students are facing many sources of stress. Ask your school district what mental health supports and services are available to your child, and how to access them. #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth

"This is an opportunity to rise up and offer the support that is so needed." - NCYL's Rachel Velcoff Hults, Equity and Access Attorney. Listen to the full interview about how although COVID-19 deepens an already dire children's mental health crisis, there is hope.

The Los Angeles Reproductive Health Equity Project for Foster Youth's Youth Advisory Board will be facilitating a radical self-love workshop on August 26th from 12PM-1:30PM. We encourage both current and former foster youth as well as advocates to join us! Register for Advice from Youth for Youth: Self-Love, Sexual Intimacy, and Healthy Relationships amid COVID-19 here: https://bit.ly/selfloveworkshop26 We will be raffling off $50 dollar gifts cards during the workshop!

WEBINAR - Support California students with unique needs. The pandemic has made education more challenging than ever for our most underserved students. School districts are required to support "students with unique needs", including youth in foster care, youth experiencing homelessness and youth in the juvenile justice system. Districts must describe these supports in their Learning Continuity and Attendance Plan. Learn best practices from the field and recommendations of acti...vities that will specifically support California's students with unique needs. Join NCYL, education staff, and advocacy partners for a webinar on August 27, 2020, from 2-3:30 p.m. about California's new Learning Continuity and Attendance Plan. Register here: https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLScqcEsBeMkINTOWcZ/viewform Presenters: Alliance for Children's Rights, Bonita Unified School District, California Department of Education, California Youth Connection (CYC), Children Now, Loyola Law School Center for Juvenile Law and Policy, and National Center for Youth Law

NEW MUST READ co-authored by NCYL's Seth Galanter "While the new regulation harms survivors, it offers a clear advantage to the accused." DeVos' Title IX rule, which goes into effect today, makes it easy for perpetrators to assault without consequenceeven if they admit to it.

BREAKING: Today, NCYL filed a lawsuit to stop a new U.S. Department of Education rule that would shift $1.5 billion away from public school students to private school students. DeVos’s Rule essentially turns Robin Hood on its head, stealing from the poor to give to the rich, said NCYL’s Seth Galanter. If not stopped, the rule will cause devastating effects on the ability of public schools to safely educate their students during the pandemicparticularly students of color, low-income students, and students with disabilities, all of whom are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

Removing police presence from our schools is a concrete, tangible step San José Unified School District can take to demonstrate its commitment to the safety and empowerment of Black students, as outlined in the Black Lives Matter Resolution adopted by the district.

The Los Angeles Reproductive Health Equity Project for Foster Youth (LA RHEP) will be hosting its third Webinar as a part of its Summer Learning Series. Tune in Wednesday, August 12th, at 12:00PM to "Parenting Youth Speak: How We Are Experiencing Covid-19 and Ways to Support Us" to learn from parenting foster youth and their experiences. Register at https://bit.ly/parentingyouthspeak to attend!

They’ve created a shadow system in which there's no accountability for expelling very young children. There really aren’t enough words to describe what a disgraceful example of sacrificing children this is to advance heartless immigration policies. - Leecia Welch, NCYL

BREAKING - major victory for kids in the Kansas' foster care system Today, Kansas officials settled our case that advocates for the rights of over 7,000 children in the state's foster care system. The state agreed to an ambitious settlement plan to transform an overburdened, mismanaged and dangerous foster care system that for years has victimized and traumatized the very Kansas children it is supposed to protect.

NCYL's Los Angeles Reproductive Health Equity Project for Foster Youth (LA RHEP) is hosting conversation #2 in its summer learning series, "Courageous Conversations: Perspectives, Lived Experiences, and Advice About Supporting Youth's Health and Relationship Needs in the Time of Coronavirus." REGISTER NOW to join us on July 8th at 12PM for "Youth and Caregivers Speak: Creating stronger caregiver-youth relationships by embracing awkward conversations" https://bit.ly/caregiveryouthrelationship

"It’s imperative we remember that this violence is not just limited to Black adults. We must recognize that the United States has sanctioned centuries of violence against Black children, too," writes NCYL's Atasi Uppal. #BLM #BlackLivesMatter

We are thrilled that the Supreme Court has rejected the Trump Administration’s attempt to end DACA! So much gratitude for the courageous youth, organizers, and advocates that fought so hard for this victory. Dreamers, your #homeishere.

One of the groups most vulnerable to COVID-19 is largely invisible to society: children in federal immigration detention facilities. For three Berkeley Law graduates working at the National Center for Youth Law (NCYL), shining a light on their situation recently led to a major court triumph. Soon after we filed our temporary restraining order, staff members and children in multiple facilities throughout the country tested positive for COVID-19, says Neha Desai, NCYL’s immigration director. One medical professional described the prospect of not removing detained youth as ‘leaving them in a burning house.’

Should the Legislature set tighter standards and more oversight over distance learning? So far, remote instruction has been implemented poorly and there are big gaps in technology and internet access in many school districts, particularly those serving low-income, Black and Latino students.

In the spirit of amplifying youth voices and leadership NCYL's Los Angeles Reproductive Health Equity Project for Foster Youth (LA RHEP) is holding a four-part summer learning series, "Courageous Conversations: Perspectives, Lived Experiences, and Advice About Supporting Youth's Health and Relationship Needs in the Time of Coronavirus." REGISTER NOW to join us on June 17th for "Youth Speak: How we are experiencing Covid-19 and the best way to meet our healthcare needs." https://youthlaw.zoom.us//regist/WN_-M9kzYk2Qx2TwVpzVHrjlw

Children facing commercial sexual exploitation are routinely forced into unsafe and harmful situations; the COVID-19 pandemic is making those situations more likely, dangerous, and sometimes even fatal. NCYL is advocating for increased support to direct service providers and exploited youth, and for education for youth and families about how to avoid online grooming and exploitation. Visit youthlaw.org/donate to join in this effort.

At least 80% of all young people who are incarcerated are black and brown. California's governor and legislative leaders have committed to centering racial equity in COVID-19 response, but have failed to protect system-impacted youth. We have a moral obligation to uplift our youth, especially in these troubled times. We urge Governor Gavin Newsom to invest in our youth and fund community-based diversion and re-entry services like the Youth Reinvestment and Tribal Diversion Grants. #ReleaseAndReconnect

Check out this new resource released by California, "The California Surgeon General's Playbook: Stress Relief for Caregivers and Kids during COVID-19," for practical guidance and tips for helping youth cope with stress during this time of crisis. #mentalhealthawareness #letstalkmentalhealth

Distance learning presents challenges for all school systems to meet the educational needs of students during the pandemic including the needs of students with disabilities. Betsy DeVos is considering rolling back provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), despite the moral and legal obligation to provide equitable supports to our nation’s students. Visit youthlaw.org/donate to contribute to our campaign to hold Betsy accountable.

Kids are essentially warehoused, no place for recreation, services, essentially cell block living." It is important that California prioritize health-based, developmentally-appropriate community-based services in lieu of incarcerating our youth. Now, more than ever, we must address the inequitable community conditions that have deepened through this crisis and invest in community-based support throughout the state.

Given the growing concerns being raised about the impact of COVID-19 on children, it is unfathomable to us that ORR is letting children languish in federal custody when they have fully vetted family members ready to care for them, said NCYL's Leecia Welch.

Postponing the release of children in facilities with known COVID-19 exposure is like leaving them in a burning house rather than going in to rescue them and take them to safety. Dr. Julie DeAun Graves, as quoted in the Federal District Court’s decision to require ORR and ICE to promptly release immigrant children from overcrowded facilities to their families or other suitable sponsors. NCYL continues to fight for immigrant children and ensure that the government complies with this order. Visit youthlaw.org/donate to support this work.

The children we serve are at greater risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit youthlaw.org/donate today to support our rapid relief efforts for youth in juvenile detention centers, immigration custody, foster care, and those at risk of exploitation, education discrimination, and barriers to receiving healthcare.

The COVID-19 crisis has "cut off an estimated 55 million children and teenagers from school staff members whose open doors and compassionate advice helped them build self-esteem, navigate the pressures of adolescence and cope with trauma." #mentalhealthawareness #letstalkmentalhealth

Foster children are prescribed the medications at far higher rates than other children in the United States, even though these medications are often not approved for use on children and can cause serious, life-threatening side effects. It is important to create strong protections to ensure the safety of those prescribed these serious medications, not to reduce existing safeguards. - NCYL's Poonam Juneja #TraumatizedEnough

"Experts say that when kids return to campuses, the demand for mental health care will be greater than the available services, as the effects of the coronavirus disruptions cut across societal strata, affecting children throughout California." #letstalkmentalhealth

California has posted a list of emotional support resources during COVID-19, including how to access the California Youth Crisis Line by phone, text, or online chat, and how to reach a teen peer support line by phone or text. #letstalkmentalhealth

The report celebrates groundbreaking inter-agency collaboration in Los Angeles County to identify and support children that have been commercially sexually exploited. To learn more about this project, visit our website - https://youthlaw.org/policy/ending-child-trafficking/

May is mental health awareness month. Check out this issue brief from Child Trends on how to build up protective factors and promote children's resilience during the COVID-19 crisis

STOP AND READ THIS - NCYL worked along with Tisha Ortiz to ensure California's youth in foster care were protected from harmful psychotropic prescribing practices. This bill erodes some of those protections. California's children in foster care have been #TraumatizedEnough

WEBINAR: Protecting and Expanding Access to Reproductive Health Care During COVID-19. NCYL's Felicia Reyes will address the specific health access issues that youth in foster care are facing at this time. Register!

As racial disparities experienced by communities of color in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic have shown, it is more urgent than ever that advocates ground their work in the pursuit of racial justice. That’s why we are thrilled to announce that NCYL's Jesse Hahnel, Michael Harris, Taima Beyah, and Karla James have been chosen as Fellows in Shriver Center on Poverty Law's 2020 Racial Justice Institute. Learn more: http://ow.ly/su3v30qzPjQ

The National Center for Youth Law urges school districts nationwide to take bold measures to serve children who are at even greater risk of entering the school-to-prison pipeline during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

NEW RESOURCE! Getting Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare During COVID-19: A Guide for Young People in California Foster Care. Click the link below. https://fosterreprohealth.org//Getting-Sexual-Reproductive