About TeamChild
We are tenacious problem solvers with legal expertise in all aspects of the law impacting youth. Our primary areas of practice focus on youth rights to education, healthcare, housing and the intersections between the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. We find out what matters to youth who ask for our help, and our lawyers champion their solutions to overcome the obstacles to their success. We stand with youth.
Our legal expertise and training give us a unique vantage point. We see how injustice and inequity are hard-wired into public systems of care. We are driven to shine light where policies and practices allow for disparities and poor outcomes to persist. We are earnest in calling in key stakeholders to dismantle systems that don’t work. We are dedicated to holding space for impacted youth and community to develop and drive the solutions and strategies that replace outdated and ineffective approaches that dehumanize, isolate and damage youth.
Mission
TeamChild upholds the rights of youth involved, or at risk of being involved, in the juvenile justice system to help them secure the education, healthcare, housing and other supports they need to achieve positive outcomes in their lives.
What We Believe
TeamChild believes that young people will thrive when they are surrounded by people who care about them and can access resources that support them. We fight for effective solutions – community-driven strategies that nurture and develop the health and wellbeing of young people, instead of exclusion and incarceration.
Vision
Young people have power and experience unconditional belonging at school, at home and in their communities.
Our Impact
Our team is proud to deliver results for youth in the juvenile justice system. In the last year, every youth we served this year achieved improved outcomes. Notable highlights include connecting 95% of youth facing academic challenges to essential educational support services and reducing barriers to safe housing for 76% of youth experiencing housing instability. These milestones demonstrate our continued dedication to empowering young people and fostering stronger, more equitable communities.
Our Story
Established in 1995, TeamChild came into existence after a group of public defenders observed that youth in the juvenile court system were failing to succeed because of barriers to opportunity – and those barriers to opportunity often had a legal solution. In both Washington state and around the nation, TeamChild is considered the gold standard in civil legal aid for young people, because of our holistic approach and effective strategies. Regularly conducted evaluations of our legal services program have shown that there is a direct result between a young person being represented by a TeamChild attorney, and outcomes including improved access to education and supportive community-based services. Furthermore, for some of the most impacted/distressed children, being supported by a TeamChild attorney results in the number of new offenses being cut by more than half (underscoring our ability to break the cycle of arrest and detention).
Through our experiences in individual legal representation, we’ve been able to inform and influence system change to improve outcomes for youth on a larger scale. We have had major advocacy successes in reforming school discipline, juvenile court diversion laws, and reducing the use of detention, achieved in partnership with community and other advocacy organizations. Our mission continues to be upholding the rights of youth involved, or at risk of being involved, in the juvenile justice system to help them secure the education, healthcare, housing, and other support they need to achieve positive outcomes in their lives. Our legal services are youth led and directed, and we are concentrating our efforts to engage community and youth voice in our policy advocacy efforts. We are seeking core mission support for our King County office, where TeamChild’s model originated and where we continue to provide critical legal advice and representation to hundreds of youths each year.
Where We Work
Locally, we are dedicated to addressing the unique patterns and needs within our communities.
TeamChild serves youth in King, Pierce, Spokane, and Yakima counties. We also work with youth throughout Washington State who have been incarcerated in the Juvenile Rehabilitation system and youth who are incarcerated in local detention facilities who do not have stable housing where they can be released.
TeamChild’s legal program staff across the state monitor how global issues affecting young people — such as homelessness, school discipline, and behavioral health — manifest in local jurisdictions. By fostering regular communication and collaboration across our four offices, we ensure that local needs and gaps are effectively addressed and integrated into our broader advocacy efforts.