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.
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.
As TeamChild moves into our second year of supporting a policy team, we have given a lot of thought to how we make policy decisions. We work to center our anti-racism principals in all of our decisions, especially policy decisions that are intended to improve the experiences of youth who are impacted by incarceration, court systems, and other oppressive systems.
As a nonprofit civil legal aid organization serving youth across Washington State, TeamChild continues to uphold the rights of young people, secure the support they need, and transform punitive systems into more effective methods of addressing root causes and providing meaningful and appropriate support, opportunities, and healing to youth across Washington State.
It’s an exciting time at TeamChild as we are hiring for several attorney positions. We want to use this opportunity to answer your questions and introduce our work!
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