By the time a crisis arises, young people inhabit an incredibly complex space of intersecting laws, agencies, and rules. We offer training and consulting to build a community of advocates who are equipped to stand with youth to overcome institutional obstacles and clear the path to a bright future.
Too many young people experience layers of challenges over time and have trouble getting the kinds of supports all youth need to thrive. Children get kicked out of school. They find themselves homeless. They end up in juvenile detention.
As parents, mentors, and advocates, it’s difficult to identify and access the needed services and supports. Education, juvenile justice, public healthcare, and other systems are filled with roadblocks along the way – denials, delays, and disruptions.
TeamChild doesn’t try to make these systems more efficient, we aim to make them work for youth and their advocates, by doing the following:
When youth know their rights and how to fight for them, they are powerful agents for change. We offer a wide range of trainings that are tailored to best serve different audiences including youth, parents and caregivers, attorneys, judges, juvenile court professionals, and social service providers:
TeamChild has long addressed education access and equity for young people experiencing school discipline, enrollment and reengagement barriers, inadequate special education and related services, and discrimination. COVID-19 has intensified these issues for youth of color, youth with disabilities and youth with financial challenges. TeamChild staff members created this Education in the wake of COVID19 Know Your Rights Manual in English and Spanish and will be updating this resource and offering community listening sessions and training as we learn how schools are approaching the 2020-21 school year. An Appendix of Forms and Samples (November, 2020) provides tools for youth and families to communicate directly with their school or district office.
"Your 'What Every Parent Needs to Know' guide changed my daughter’s life. The school was violating her special education rights and I wouldn’t have known this without the guide. It provided information that I did not get from the school. It was great that I had facts and WACs to support me in school meetings, and to complement my own personal opinions as a father. I used this know your rights information to file a complaint against the school and the ensuing investigation found numerous violations. I now print copies from your website and hand them out to other parents at meetings."