Where We Work
Minimizing Court and Systems Involvement
Juvenile Law Center works to reduce inappropriate referrals to the child welfare, juvenile justice, and adult criminal justice systems.
Promoting Fairness in the Courts
Youth face significant obstacles enforcing and protecting their rights in juvenile and adult court proceedings.
Improving Outcomes for Court-Involved Youth
Youth face significant obstacles enforcing and protecting their rights in juvenile and adult court proceedings.
Securing Access to Services and Opportunities
We help ensure that youth in the child welfare and justice systems have access to effective, individualized services, opportunities, and quality education.
Minimizing Court and Systems Involvement
Promoting Fairness in the Courts
Improving Outcomes for Court-Involved Youth
Ensuring Access to Services and Opportunities
Features
-
newsTo Succeed in School, Foster Youth Need Educational StabilityMay 16, 2013Learn More >Nationally, nearly half of youth in foster care do not complete high school by age 18. Frequent school moves and course credits that don't transfer are a big part of the problem. Here's more on why school stability is critical for foster youth—and what you can do to help.
newsRegister Now For Our 2nd Annual Spring Celebration in Philadelphia!May 13, 2013Learn More >The event will feature an exclusive preview of the soon-to-be-released Kids for Cash non-fiction film and a discussion with filmmaker Robert May, producer of the Oscar®-winning film Fog of War. We'll also be honoring Charisse Lillie, President, Comcast Foundation, and thanking Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
-
newsYouth Engagement is Critical to Shaping Child Welfare Laws and Policies That Really WorkMay 13, 2013Learn More >Experience and research show that we have a better chance of ending up with policies that advance good practice when we listen to youth in foster care, and to foster youth alumni, about what works and what does not work. In addition to creating better policies, youth benefit from the experience of advocating for themselves and seeing that their voice is important.
newsChildren Should Not Be On Sex Offender RegistriesMay 01, 2013Learn More >In recent years, states have passed harsh public registration laws that punish children while doing little to protect public safety. Many of these laws have been enacted in response to a federal law, the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), which targets adult sex offenders, but also includes children. Juvenile Law Center has long argued that these laws are misguided. A new, comprehensive report from Human Rights Watch supports our view.
-
newsWelcome to National Foster Care Month!May 06, 2013Learn More >To reduce the number of youth aging out of foster care without permanency while increasing positive education, employment, and health care outcomes, we must do more than merely extend foster care. We must also improve and change it so that it works for young adults. No one understands this better than the young people in foster care themselves.
newsJuvenile Law Center's Website Wins a Webby Award!April 30, 2013Learn More >Our website received a Webby Award in the Law category in the 17th Annual Webby Awards. Hailed as the "Internet's highest honor" by The New York Times, The Webby Awards, presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet.
Recent News
- May 15, 2013Kids-for-cash lawsuits combined into class-action case by federal judge
Scranton Times-Tribune
- April 29, 2013Is 100 years a life sentence? Opinions are divided
Adam Liptak, The New York Times
- April 26, 2013Kip Kinkel uses landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling to challenge sentence
Maxine Bernstein, The Oregonian
- April 22, 2013Thousands of youths held in solitary confinement
Michael Brick, Associated Press
- April 18, 2013One year later, remembering a young Philadelphian shot for stepping up
Emma Jacobs, WHYY Newsworks
- April 09, 2013Top court issues final juvenile justice report
Robert Swift, Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice
-
16 May via webAbsolutely MT @marvinbing: #Childwelfare, #juvenilejustice systems must address needs of #CrossoverYouth #FosterChat cc: @Sixtocancel
-
16 May via webNearly 1/2 of foster youth don't graduate high school at 18. Lack of school stability = big issue. More on that here: http://t.co/GtAT0mola4
-
15 May via web"Nothing about us without us": For real change, foster youth must have a voice in #childwelfare reform http://t.co/JvmHyBSgpC #FosterChat
-
14 May via webFormer foster youth participate in Harrisburg, PA rally to raise awareness of #fostercare http://t.co/EwbI9Vzj6T #FosterCareMonth
-
14 May via webOrgs like @fosterclub @Ventura_CYC @jimcaseyyouth know kids must have a voice in #fostercare reform http://t.co/5pGfmv5FrO #FosterCareMonth
-
13 May via web@floridanetwork1 Agreed! We were happy to share.
-
13 May via webGreat read RT @jjinitiative: Juvenile offenders studying Russian literature in detention facility via @washingtonpost http://t.co/OPhUderjSh
-
13 May via webRT @CaseyPrograms: Use #FosterChat to join a National Foster Care Month Tweet-Up on 5/15 at 2 p.m. ET: http://t.co/OFIGOUn283
-
13 May via webWe signed on to this issue brief to @NCSaferSchools to advocate for data-driven strategies to promote school safety: http://t.co/NZ4wlGwk1n
-
9 May via web@hankmarotske Thanks for sharing - it's great to hear from you. Congrats on overcoming challenges like that and becoming so successful!
Follow: