Lawyers write amicus briefs for courts to review when the ruling has a wider impact. In 2025, TeamChild wrote an amicus brief on why courts should apply adolescent brain science when evaluating how young people experience the legal system. This amicus influenced the court’s ruling and strengthened the requirements to consider young people’s developmental needs in the legal system! Read more about this amicus brief here

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In 2025, our Youth Advisory Board became the Youth Action Coalition (YAC)! Their year was busy, and some highlights included advocating in Olympia during the legislative session and speaking to decision makers at the annual Access to Justice Conference! Read more here

This year, TeamChild attorneys represented hundreds of young people to help them stay connected to school. School connectedness is one of the strongest protective factors against juvenile court involvement. This year, we are celebrating several long-time clients who have earned their diplomas - cheers to these youth! Read more here

In 2025, we invested in partnerships in Yakima, particularly those that assist vulnerable families - such as the farmworker community in Yakima Valley. Youth in Yakima have significant resource shortages, including limited access to legal representation and high rates of juvenile detention and school exclusion. Ongoing advocacy focused in this community is vital. Read more about this work here

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Most young people do not have access to an attorney to help challenge a legal decision at the Court of Appeals. TeamChild attorneys brought a case on behalf of a young person to raise important legal claims related to the fairness of the process that transferred them from a youth prison to an adult prison. While we do not know the court's decision yet, we are proud we were able to support youth in this case and many others. Read more about this case here

Housing law for young people differs from traditional landlord-tenant law as most minors are unable to sign leases. This year, TeamChild worked with clients to establish legal pathways for stability such as initiating minor guardianships, dependency actions, and emancipations while also offering informal advocacy to facilitate access to safe, stable housing and supportive adults. Read more about our housing advocacy work here

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Youth-serving nonprofits and public programs have faced deep funding cuts this year. TeamChild experienced a 25% budget cut. We've done the difficult work to reduced costs and staff to remain sustainable. With these changes, combined with generous support from foundations and supporters like you, we have made big strides in closing the gap—but a funding gap remains. We hope you’ll help close it. You can read more here

The youth we walk alongside are TeamChild's last and brightest highlight of 2025. We asked our team to share words describing our youth clients and co-conspirators, and within the star below is what they said.

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In August, our TeamChild staff published a report on our Juvenile Rehabilitation facilities that highlighted management failures, dehumanizing practices, and our recommendations for change. Read more about this report and our work with JR facilities here