Learn about TeamChild...

• how we create opportunities for change for youth
• the issues we address
• how we build support in the community
• how our vision makes dollar sense
• national and local recognition for our work

Creating Opportunities for Change for Hundreds of Young People

Washington State is leading the nation with TeamChild, a program proven to be successful in helping youth in trouble. A high percentage of juvenile offenders struggle with untreated mental illness, addiction, learning disabilities, and unsafe living environments. Many young people can be diverted from delinquency or other trouble if their basic needs are met-but they often can't access the community-based services they need to get on the right track.

TeamChild makes a difference for youth in trouble by helping them get the services they need to change their lives. TeamChild addresses the underlying causes of juvenile delinquency by advocating for education, mental & medical health services, safe living situations and other supports. The Washington State Legislature and local governments have recognized the immense value of this nationally acclaimed program and have supported TeamChild's expansion to five counties across the state.



The Issues TeamChild Addresses

Education
Many youth in the juvenile justice system experience difficulties in school. Some have dropped out, some have been kicked out, others are failing, often because they have special needs that are not being addressed. TeamChild helps youth gain access to appropriate educational programs so they can find success in school.

Health Care
Many youth in the juvenile justice system have mental or physical health problems and drug or alcohol addictions. TeamChild helps youth obtain evaluations, treatment, and other health services.

Housing
Homelessness, or a dangerous or unstable home, often contributes to a youth's problem behavior. TeamChild helps young people access safe and stable living situations.



Building Supports in the Community for Children at Risk

TeamChild partners with others in the community to broaden supports for children and youth who are at risk of having delinquency problems. With the support of Casey Family Programs, TeamChild developed an Education Advocacy Manual and training for foster parents, social workers, and others involved with foster youth to help them be more effective advocates for this at-risk population. In one year, TeamChild distributed over 900 Manuals and helped over 550 people statewide develop the skills needed to advocate for the education of children and youth. The manual is available online for all who wish to use it.

TeamChild also works to train public defenders, probation officers, judges, and others involved in the justice system to identify the issues underlying a young person's problem behavior and to increase awareness of the success of community-based services to meet these needs.



TeamChild: A Vision that Makes Dollar Sense

Addressing the problems underlying juvenile delinquency can reduce incarceration, victim, and other criminal justice costs. The Washington State Institute for Public Policy found that TeamChild can save close to $4000 in taxpayer dollars for every child receiving full assistance from TeamChild.
To read the study, click here.

In 2001 TeamChild received federal Byrne Grant funds to provide civil legal advocacy for youth who were involved in or at risk of involvement in the juvenile justice system. The goal of this evaluation was to determine whether TeamChild’s work has an impact on a young person’s future criminal involvement. We matched TeamChild’s clients with a comparison group of youth and found that:
- TeamChild is effective in reducing a young person’s juvenile court involvement.
- A dollar spent on TeamChild yields $2.23 in criminal justice system savings. In less than 6 months, TeamChild program costs are paid back by the criminal justice savings produced by the program.
To read the full Byrne Grant report, click here.



National and Local Recognition for TeamChild's Work

TeamChild has won wide recognition as an innovative model of advocacy. Since its inception in 1995, TeamChild has received:

US Senator Patty Murray's 2001 Golden Tennis Shoe Award for making a positive difference in the community.

The Washington State Bar Association's Pro Bono Award on behalf of the many attorneys who volunteer their time and expertise to the young people served by the program.

In 2000, the US Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the Juvenile Court Centennial Institute presented TeamChild with the National Juvenile Justice Award, recognizing it as a national model for juvenile justice prevention.

In 1998, TeamChild received the prestigious American Bar Association/NLADA Clara Foltz Award for work on behalf of indigent youth.

TeamChild has also been the recipient of a number of prestigious fellowships, including:

A 1998 Skadden Fellowship, granting TeamChild the funding to hire a recent law school graduate to work with youth in the Yakima Valley.

The Open Society Institute's Soros Justice Fellowship, which granted two fellowships to TeamChild from 1999 - 2001, one to expand the advocacy model to foster youth and the second to work with youth with disabilities.