Philosophy of Systems Change: Reform and Prevention
For 31 years, TeamChild has advanced a vision of young people experiencing power and belonging at school, at home, and in their communities. We pursue this vision through a holistic approach that goes beyond legal representation to include changing the systems that support youth education and housing, rehabilitation, and community integration. Young people deserve more than punishment when these systems cause instability — they deserve strong, proactive support to ensure their developmental needs are met in the community so they can thrive.
Our philosophy of system change is simple: reform and prevention. This legislative session, TeamChild is advocating for a coordinated package of bills to promote rehabilitation, reduce excessive sentencing, and prevent youth from entering deeper involvement in the system.
Reform Bills
HB 2389 / SB 6062: Prioritizes community-based supervision over incarceration, reduces excessive robbery sentencing, and requires regular progress reviews for incarcerated youth.
HB 1317: Creates a pathway for people who committed offenses before age 21 to seek sentence review based on youth development and rehabilitation potential.
HB 1274: Retroactively excludes certain juvenile convictions from adult offender scores, correcting past sentencing harms.
Prevention Bills
SB 5911 / HB 2169: Stops the state from taking SSI benefits from youth in Extended Foster Care and instead deposits them into youth savings accounts.
SB 5940 / HB 2455: Establishes a housing assistance pilot for youth in Extended Foster Care.
SB 5956: Limits AI and surveillance tools in K–12 schools, requires human oversight in discipline, and protects student privacy.
Together, these bills address systemic inequities, reduce the criminalization of poverty and homelessness, and create pathways to stability, rehabilitation, and long-term success for young people. We invite you to follow TeamChild’s social media channels for legislative updates throughout the session.