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TeamChild began in 1995 as a collaborative project between The Defender Association (TDA) and Evergreen Legal Services, now known as Columbia Legal Services (CLS). TeamChild was born out of the frustration of seeing young people with significant mental health, education and housing needs cycle in and out of the criminal justice system without getting the help and support they needed to remain healthy and trouble-free in the community. Public defenders for these youth could recognize the barriers, but didn’t have the resources to address the problems. In contrast, civil legal aid attorneys didn’t have a mechanism for identifying and serving youth.
TeamChild was created to bridge this gap between the juvenile justice system and the community. TeamChild’s pilot project received funding from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). With support from key partners including the Washington Defender Association (WDA), TDA and CLS, TeamChild has since expanded and now serves youth in five diverse counties of Washington State. Long-term support of the program has been sustained through state and county funding, as well as private funding from foundations and individuals.
Every day, thousands of youth face profound legal and social barriers that increase their chances of dropping out of school, being homeless or ending up in the juvenile justice system.
TeamChild uses its legal expertise and community partnerships to break down barriers to community services in order to overcome the root causes of a youth’s involvement in the juvenile justice system.
TeamChild is a member of the Alliance for Equal Justice, Washington's network of organizations providing civil legal aid to people in need. TeamChild is also a member of the Washington Defender Association (WDA), a statewide membership organization for public defenders, and of the National Juvenile Justice Network, which enhances the capacity of juvenile justice coalitions and organizations to promote practices that are fair, equitable and developmentally appropriate for all children, youth and families involved in, or at risk of becoming involved in, the justice system.
TeamChild’s work is grounded in the Core Values and commitment to making sure that they are all listening to young people’s perspectives and voices and including them in making decisions about their lives. The stakes for the youth they work with are high ‐ without assistance to address their urgent needs, they may drop out of school, end up homeless, or incarcerated. Legal services for youth are the core of the agency’s work and inform the outreach, trainings, and broader advocacy.
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