Focus area

Health

We work to ensure that all children have equitable access to whole-health care and support that meets their physical, emotional and psycho-social needs. We aim to dismantle the barriers to care that children and youth experience, including involvement in foster care or juvenile justice systems, implicit bias in the health system, and housing or economic instability.

Center Youth
NCYL convenes a Youth Advisory Board made up of current and former foster youth who lead strategies to ensure all young people in foster care receive appropriate sexual and reproductive health information and support. Additionally, our policy work engages youth through community-based partners, and we work directly with youth to file litigation.

Our Success & Impact

Get up to date on our latest work - from litigation and policy wins to new reports, resources, events and more.

Success and Impact

Governor signs AB 665 into law, increasing mental health care access for low-income youth

No young person should ever be denied access to mental health care due to their income level. Thanks to California Gov. Gavin Newsom signing Assembly...

Nation's Top Legal Justice Group for Kids, Announces New Leader

The National Center for Youth Law has chosen one of its own – and the first woman and person of color – to carry forward the organization’s mission to...

In win for youth, Supreme Court upholds individuals' ability to enforce rights

Supreme Court majority decision preserves the ability of children and other beneficiaries of federal spending programs to sue states that violate...

Our Initiatives

Uphold Consent and Confidentiality

Laws and regulations that impact health consent and confidentiality for children and youth can facilitate or become a barrier to health care. NCYL helps youth, families and service providers understand these rules and how youth can advocate for their consent and confidentiality rights.

Empower Youth to Lead and Make Decisions About Their Sexual and Reproductive Health

NCYL’s RHEP normalizes, supports, and promotes the bodily autonomy and healthy sexual development of youth in foster care. We provide multiple resources so they feel empowered to make confident, informed decisions about their health.

Equip Health Systems and Professionals to Meet the Needs of Youth

Helping health professionals understand the complex challenges facing many system-involved youth who seek health care with tools to understand and navigate their legal obligations, implement the best standards of care, and provide trauma-informed, culturally competent care.

Advocate for Improved Mental Health Access and Equity

All children and youth should be able to access mental health care services and support in their communities. NCYL works to normalize and improve access to quality mental health care for all children and stop harmful, traumatic practices that impact far too many children and youth.

Related Events

Compassion Fatigue Training

Registration is closed. Please check back for more training opportunities.

January 25, 2023 - 12:00pm

Legal Advocacy & Impact Litigation

See All Cases

D.P. v. School Board of Palm Beach County

Filing date

2021-06-22

Police employed by the School District of Palm Beach County illegally use the Florida Mental Health Act, also known as the Baker Act, to subject hundreds of students each year to involuntary psychiatric examinations, without their parents' input, consent and, sometimes, over their objections.

Active

M.J. v The District of Columbia

Filing date

2018-08-01

Filed on on behalf of all Medicaid-eligible District of Columbia children who have a mental health disability and are not receiving medically necessary intensive community-based services as required by federal law.

Active

M.B. V. Tidball

Filing date

2017-07-03

Every day, the approximately 13,000 children in the foster care custody of the state of Missouri are exposed to an unreasonable risk of serious physical and psychological harm because the state fails to maintain an adequate oversight system to ensure that psychotropic drugs are administered safely

Active

Laws & Policy

See All Laws & Policy

Reducing Unequal Access to Mental Health Services (2023)

AB 665 (Carrillo)

All children in California deserve access to mental health services to live full and thriving lives, and care for their emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing. Under current statute, youth ages 12 and older who receive health care through Medi-Cal are blocked from accessing mental health

Active

Healthy Futures for Foster Youth (2021)

California Strengthens Reproductive Health Equity for Youth in Foster Care

Three significant investments were included in the 2021-2022 California State budget that improve upon existing laws to strengthen reproductive health equity for youth in foster care.

Enacted

Mental Health Education (2021)

SB 224 (Portantino)

SB 224 ensures that middle and high school health courses include instruction on mental health and wellness, and requires the state to develop a plan to expand mental health instruction in California public schools by January 1, 2024.

Enacted

Related Resources

Mental health support for court-involved youth

The Judicial Bench Card Series contains tools and information to help courts better support the mental health needs of youth and families.

How schools can support mental health report cover with image of a smiling student wearing a back pack

Schools can support student mental health and well-being

This collection of resources, information, and strategies is intended to support and help California students get the mental health support they need...

Report cover with unique artwork depicting a growing plant

Youth provide insights to help build healthier schools

Report, based on engagement with 90+ youth, elevates students' voices in reshaping schools to better support their needs

A young person sits thoughtfully outside on a bench

California's AB 665: Equitable access to mental health services

Rachel Velcoff Hults, Director of Health at the National Center for Youth Law, discusses how California's AB 665 can improve mental health outcomes

Ensuring California Youth in Foster Care Receive Gender Affirming and Reproductive Health Care

February 2023 All youth deserve the right to healthy relationships, healthy sexual development, and bodily autonomy to ensure they can lead thriving...

Where We Focus

National Center for Youth Law is committed to achieving large-scale, lasting change across multiple government systems and public agencies. Explore all the areas of our work to Center Youth.

Education

Foster Care

Immigration

Commercial Sexual Exploitation

Youth Justice

Contribute Today

You can be part of the mission to Center Youth and create a world where every child thrives.