TeamChild has been working for over a decade with individual clients, and with systems as a whole, to eliminate the harms the juvenile legal system creates for young people, their families, and communities. Much of this work has focused on post-conviction relief, which means helping a young person who has been through the legal system reconnect to a productive, inclusive, and supportive environment after that contact with court and incarceration.
At TeamChild, we are working to find new and creative ways to support each other across our statewide offices – and while I say “new,” in fact one of the most meaningful strategies is the most enduring one. It’s about making space for relationships and our own humanity.
There are two significant prosecuting attorney races happening in Washington state this November 8th, one in King County and one in Spokane County. For many voters, and especially young people, it may be difficult to meaningfully participate in this election because it’s hard to understand what the job of a prosecutor is all about.
TeamChild has been working very hard on creating a new Youth Education Law Collaborative (YELC). TeamChild, along with Northwest Justice Project, Washington Autism Alliance, Kids in Need of Defense, Disability Rights Washington, and Seattle University School of Law will provide accessible legal information and education advocacy to students impacted by COVID-19.
We hope to make an impact for youth in education, stable and safe housing, removing post-conviction burdens and barriers, and reducing the use of incarceration to respond to the needs of young people.
In our July blog, we want to highlight a few of the new laws, that are now in effect, that impact our clients and communities and help everyone prepare for the changes.
This June, as Pride Month commemorates the 53rd anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, advocates again face a critical moment in the development of an equitable, safe, and more-inclusive society.
TeamChild continues to support Washington State Supreme Court’s rule changes that protect youth from a lifetime of exposure to their juvenile legal cases. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court voted to delay implementation to allow for more discussion about how to implement the new rules.
On May 5, the Washington State Supreme Court delayed implementation of these new rules and referred them back to the Supreme Court Rules Committee to recommend next steps. We urge the Rules Committee to reaffirm these rule changes and set a definite implementation date. These rules are important and necessary steps toward dismantling longstanding inequities in the court system and the detrimental impacts on the lives of youth.
Any parent with school-aged children will tell you that school closures, remote online learning, and return to school with changing mask mandates, strict sick policies, and school staff shortages have dramatically impacted public education. For Black and brown students, students who have disabilities, and low-income students the pandemic included those challenges and exacerbated pre-existing inequities in education.
1225 South Weller St, Suite 420
Seattle, WA 98144
TeamChild is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
Federal Tax ID# 91-1930194
Molly Costello