Resources Library

The National Center for Youth Law shares its learning and experience to assist people in our efforts to support and empower youth. Browse our research and resources.

Primer for Juvenile Court Judges: A Trauma-Informed Approach to Judicial Decision-Making for Newcomer Immigrant Youth in Juvenile Justice Proceedings

This primer and accompanying benchcard for juvenile court judges presents a trauma-informed approach to judicial decision-making for newcomer immigrant youth in juvenile justice proceedings.

Commercially Sexually Exploited Girls and Young Women Involved in Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice in Los Angeles County: An Exploration and Evaluation of Placement Experiences and Services Received

Crisis on the Coast: The Bay Coastal Foster Youth and Homeless Student Populations

This report produced in partnership with Pivot Learning highlights the impact homelessness has on students in Monterey County and the efforts our two organizations are making to address these academic challenges.

Trauma-Informed Legal Advocacy: A Resource for Juvenile Defense Attorneys

This resource is intended to provide juvenile defense attorneys with an increased understanding of what trauma-informed legal advocacy entails, how trauma impacts child development, the attorney-client relationship, family and caregivers, and attorneys themselves.

Psychotherapy for Commercially Sexually Exploited Children: A Guide for Community-Based Behavioral Health Practitioners and Agencies

The guide describes the core components of treatment, the impact of ongoing trauma, and the importance of understanding exploitation in the context of social injustice and systemic oppression.

HIPAA or FERPA? A Primer on Sharing School Health Information in California, 2nd Edition

This Primer provides an overview of the pertinent federal and state confidentiality laws when health care is provided on school sites and addresses a few frequently asked questions regarding sharing information.

Building Champions for Students In New Mexico’s Foster Care: FosterEd New Mexico Progress Update

Promoting Permanency for Teens: A 50 State Review of Law and Policy

Over the last 20 years the number of children in foster care has decreased significantly. Yet during this same period, the number of teenagers aging out of foster care without finding a permanent family has increased from 19,000 to more than 23,000 annually.

Youth Prosecuted As Adults In California: Addressing Racial, Ethnic, And Geographic Disparities After the Repeal of Direct File

In 2016, Californians voted overwhelmingly in support of Proposition 57, a ballot initiative that abolished the practice of “direct file,” wherein prosecutors could file charges against youth as young as 14 years old directly in adult criminal court.

Championing the Potential of Youth on Probation: Critical Education Advocacy for Justice-Involved Youth

This issue brief explores how NCYL’s FosterEd initiative has worked with partners to advocate for policy change and direct services for probation-supervised youth, and what steps other organizations can take to join the movement to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for these youth.