Recent news

Ma'Khia Bryant was shot and killed at 16. Why was she in child welfare instead of with her family? Why didn't the officer de-escalate?

This week marks the overlap of Reentry Week, Second Chances Month, and Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The convergence of these events creates an opportunity for important conversations about second chances for youth adjudicated delinquent for sexual offenses.

The lead news story this morning is the guilty verdict in the trial for the murder of George Floyd. As that verdict was being announced, police shot and killed Ma’Khia Bryant in Columbus, Ohio. As the story emerges, three facts are confirmed: Ma’Khia was 16 years old.

Youth in placement through the child welfare, juvenile justice, behavioral health or developmental disabilities system need a local, independent ombudsperson to hear their grievances and investigate allegations of abuse including educational deprivation.

As we all listened to the decisive guilty verdict reached today in Minneapolis, we felt a sense of hope that those charged with protecting and

Reimagining a foster care system that errs on the side of protecting children, but disproportionately investigates and punishes Black families more for economic hardship than harm.

One New York county tried a solution that dramatically reduced the number of Black and white children in foster care. The second in a two-part series.

The bill gives hundreds of people an opportunity to petition for earlier release.

The youth ombudsperson proposal pits young Philadelphians against the very office tasked with protecting them.

The following testimony was written and will be read by Juvenile Law Center's Youth Fostering Change and Juveniles for Justice Youth Advocates on April 8th at a virtual hearing on the need for a Philadelphia independent youth ombudsperson.