Recent news

Amidst the COVID pandemic, the racial justice reckoning in our hearts and in our streets, and the increasingly toxic rhetoric of the 2020 elections, many of us are looking for ways we can step out of our usual routine, make connections despite our COVID precautions, and perhaps learn something new.

The major findings from the data are: (1) there are significant racial disparities in the youth that are charged/convicted as adults, (2) costs/fees represent the largest portion of financial obligations assessed against youth, and (3) the total amount of costs/fees assessed has increased 12% since 2009.

As National Kinship Care month ends, we wanted to reflect on all that we have learned from kin, families, and youth who have provided their brave and honest thoughts for how we can improve our state and national practices surrounding family preservation. There are many policy improvements that can be made, and this final blog in the series will focus on recommendations for lawmakers to consider.

It is said that the most fortunate people are those who have found a calling. When I wandered into the field of child advocacy over 30 years ago, I quickly became one of those fortunate people. I love my work and I am grateful to have worked alongside many passionate and talented lawyers for children.

Traditionally, the world of child welfare has been one that is unpredictable and rather complicated to navigate.  This year has proven to be a challenge, making resources even more scarce due to a pervasive need for support. With so many grabbing at the same bag of resources, it has become crucial to become creative with how to support those we serve.

The next meeting of the Pennsylvania Juvenile Justice Task Force is scheduled for Wednesday, September 30, 2020 from 3-5 p.m., and can be viewed on the Task Force website. The September 30, 2020 meeting will focus on data related to fines, fees, and restitution, as well as youth who are charged as adults. Look for a future blog summarizing what occurs.

Over the next four months, through a series of online events and blogs, we will look back on our 45 years of advocating for rights, dignity, equity and opportunity for youth in the child welfare and justice systems. Amidst COVID-19 and the racial reckoning underway in our country, it is challenging to celebrate (but we need to do so!) - and critical to reflect.

Over the past 14 years, I have worked to improve government systems for vulnerable children and families. This work is personal to me because I spent part of my childhood in foster care. I know what it’s like to be a small, defenseless child on the other end of a giant, dysfunctional government system.

In 2019, one of Juvenile Law Center’s Youth Advocacy programs, Youth Fostering Change, chose as their policy project older youth permanency. Many of the young people in the group aged out without being connected to family and they had a lot to say about what could have been done to help them find family, including their own relatives and kin.

Valuing and pursuing kinship care arrangements promotes racial equity and is essential to ensuring permanency for children and youth and their communities.