On the Threshold of Change: Virtual Conversation Recording Now Available

On the Threshold of Change: Virtual Conversation   Thank you to everyone who joined us for the riveting virtual conversation yesterday about the new On the Threshold of Change report that highlights future forces that could, if we take action, transform extended foster care so that young people enter adulthood with the support and resources […]

“I am feeling so inspired and empowered to make changes for youth”

Saluting Our Unsung Heroes At the Youth Law Center, we are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of children in the juvenile justice and foster care systems. We work with and for children, their families, and their communities to fight for their right to access resources to help them thrive. We cannot do […]

Youth Law Center welcomes new team members!

Youth Law Center is thrilled to announce the addition of three new individuals to our team. Get to know them at the links below! Tamar Alexanian, Staff Attorney Nathan Brown,QPI Administrative Coordinator Edgar Zaragoza Guzman, Administrative Specialist

Youth Law Center authors chapter in new NACC book

The National Association of Counsel For Children (NACC) recently released the 4th edition of its Child Welfare Law and Practice: Representing Children, Parents, and Agencies in Neglect, Abuse, and Dependency Cases (“the Red Book”). This textbook is used as a national resource for attorneys and judges and provides the framework for NACC’s child welfare law specialist credential. […]

Youth Law Center and Children’s Legal Advocates Applaud Landmark Decision

In a victory for Native youth, families and Tribal Nations, the Supreme Court today upheld the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) in a 7-2 decision. The Court issued its ruling in Haaland v. Brackeen, affirming that ICWA safeguards children’s rights, supports family integrity for Indian families, and properly protects the rights of […]

Join us for YLC’s 2023 Summer Seminar Series

YLC’s annual Summer Seminar series, 2023 edition, is now open for registration. Each year, the Youth Law Center hosts a series of educational seminars on a variety of topics related to juvenile justice, child welfare, transition-age youth advocacy, and public interest law, with a particular focus on practice in California. These seminars are especially appropriate […]

YLC Welcomes New Equal Justice Works Fellow

We are thrilled to welcome Chris Middleton to the YLC team as a staff attorney. Chris is a recipient of the Equal Justice Works 2023 class of Design-Your-Own Fellows which enables fellows to work towards addressing unmet civil legal needs in under-resourced communities throughout the country. While at YLC, Chris’s advocacy will be focused on […]

YLC Authors Article for American Bar Association

One of the most popular provisions of the Affordable Care Act—allowing young adults to stay on their parent’s health plan until age 26—was mirrored by a provision that expanded Medicaid. YCL’s Policy Director Jenny Pokempner authored an article for the American Bar Association on tips for advocates to help keep more young people covered with Medicaid […]

YLC’s Policy Director Awarded ABA’s Fearless Children’s Lawyer of the Month

We are so proud of YLC’s Policy Director, Jenny Pokempner, on being named the American Bar Association’s Fearless Children’s Lawyer of the Month! “For over two decades, Jenny has been a relentless advocate dedicated to building better futures for teenagers and young adults in foster care. For Jenny, the vision is clear: Decision and policy makers […]

YLC Comments on the California Behavioral Health Community-Based Continuum

On January 13th, YLC submitted comments to the CA Department of Health Care Service’s proposal for CA Behavioral Health Community Based Continuum. Our comments focus on the impact of several important provisions for children and youth in foster care and juvenile justice systems including: Support for California’s proposal to utilize Medicaid funding for enrichment activities […]

Join us in investing in youth and family leadership in 2023!

Dear friend, This year, support from our generous donors has enabled YLC to focus our systems change advocacy to achieve justice for children and youth in foster care and juvenile justice through ensuring love, stability, and the opportunities necessary for a healthy future. YLC’s advocacy is effective and powerful because we bring our deep legal […]

YLC Convenes National Conference of QPI Champions

YLC launched the Quality Parenting Initiative (QPI) over a decade ago as a national movement committed to ensuring that all children in care have excellent parenting and lasting relationships so they can thrive and grow. Over 100,000 children, 25% of children in care in the United States, are affected by the QPI approach. One of […]

We’re hiring! Are you our new Operations Coordinator?

The Operations Coordinator is responsible for delivering cross-team support both to our small but mighty Finance/Operations team and to our Legal Advocacy team. The Operations Coordinator will play a critical role in expanding these teams’ capacity to focus on their core areas of work by taking on the logistical and administrative aspects of a variety […]

Save the date for YLC’s 2022 virtual Unsung Heroes celebration!

Save the date! Please join us for our first virtual Unsung Heroes event on Thursday, December 8th, 2022 from 3-4:30pm PST. We will be celebrating YLC’s advocacy efforts, our community, and the important work of our 2022 honorees. Registration link and 2022 honoree announcement coming soon!  

Promoting Racial Justice in Child Welfare: A Virtual Congressional Briefing, Part One

In this webinar, presented by the TAY Federal Coalition and hosted by the Youth Law Center, we kick off a virtual congressional briefing series on systemic racism and racial justice in the child welfare system. The series aims to provide Members of Congress and congressional staffers with the information necessary to understand the history and […]

YLC 2022 Summer Clerk Seminar Series

All summer interns, clerks, and staff from California Qualified Legal Service Providers (QLSPs) and Support Centers are invited to join us for YLC’s 2022 Summer Seminar Series! From June 8th – July 6th, 2022, this series of interactive seminars will include presentations on key topics in child welfare, juvenile justice, and systems-change advocacy. Whether you’re […]

YLC Reissues Report “Closing the Extracurriculars Gap”

Three years ago the Youth Law Center first issued the publication “Closing the Extracurriculars Gap: Prioritizing Extracurricular Activities as a Key Intervention for Children and Youth in Foster Care and Juvenile Justice” to make the case for action to ensure that young people in foster care have meaningful access to extracurricular and enrichment activities. YLC […]

YLC welcomes new team member Kisha Queeley

YLC is thrilled to welcome a new member to our team! Kisha Queeley joins YLC as our Controller. Hailing from Orlando, Florida, Kisha has worked in a finance capacity for over 25 years. She spent the last 20 years with Central Florida YMCA and held various positions including business manager, executive director, controller and finance […]

YLC celebrates new scholarship with Iranian American Women Foundation

YLC is thrilled to congratulate and celebrate the winner of this year’s Iranian American Women Foundation‘s Youth Law Center scholarship! Golnaz Zamiri, the winner of this year’s scholarship, is a student at University of Connecticut and a deserving young woman studying human development and family studies and a future human rights leader. We are grateful […]

YLC welcomes two new team members!

YLC is thrilled to welcome two new team members! Jenny Pokempner joins YLC as our new Policy Director and Marisa Lopez-Scott joins YLC as our new Staff Attorney. Get to know them below! Jenny Pokempner joined YLC in the spring of 2021 as the Policy Director. In this new role, Jenny will work on child […]

Celebrating Youth Law Center’s 2020 Unsung Heroes

Each year, the Youth Law Center honors Unsung Heroes, a celebration of everyday people who make a difference in the lives of children in the juvenile justice and foster care systems. This year, we are thrilled to honor the people who have worked incredibly hard for youth in the foster care and juvenile justice system during […]

Historic Gathering of Birth and Foster Parents

The Youth Law Center is leading efforts across the country through our Quality Parenting Initiative to unite birth and foster families to create and implement shared policy solutions, educate policy makers and develop and implement model programs that support partnership. Birth and foster families are most invested in children’s healthy development and happiness, but have […]