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Pursuing justiceA Juvenile law center Blog
September 13, 2017
Take Action Now: Support Higher Ed Success for Youth in Foster Care, Experiencing Homelessness
posted by Juvenile Law Center
Yesterday, two bills were introduced in Congress to help homeless and foster youth transition successfully to higher education and receive the financial aid and other supports they need to complete their degrees.
TAKE ACTION NOW TO SUPPORT THESE IMPORTANT BILLS!
Tags:Access to Education|Child Welfare and Foster Care|State and Federal Legislation
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September 01, 2017
Navigating the Path to a Successful Career: New Opportunities for Youth with Disabilities
posted by Elisa Egonu, Legal Intern, and Karen U. Lindell, Staff Attorney
As any high schooler can tell you, finding paid work experiences in today’s economy can be a real challenge. But youth with disabilities in the juvenile justice and foster care systems face a particularly difficult road. In addition to the challenges of system involvement, youth with disabilities often encounter discriminatory attitudes or hiring practices when searching for a job, and they may need additional supports, workplace accommodations, or specialized training to secure and maintain employment. These added hurdles dramatically hinder these young people’s chance of success; research shows that youth and young adults with disabilities are employed at less than half the rate of their non-disabled peers.
Tags:Access to Education|Child Welfare and Foster Care|Juvenile and Criminal Justice|Older Youth with Disabilities|Transitions to Adulthood (Foster Care)
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August 18, 2017
posted by Karen U. Lindell, Staff Attorney
As summer comes to a close, many teens around the country are wrapping up one of the first steps in their “career pathway”: a summer job. These short-term positions are not just a pastime; research shows that summer employment reduces dropout rates, improves long-term employment prospects, and decreases the chance of future involvement in the criminal justice system.
In a new report funded by the Lenfest Foundation, Juvenile Law Center takes a focused look at the barriers to career pathways that system-involved youth encounter. Based on an in-depth needs assessment of the Philadelphia community, the report offers five strategies to improve access to career-focused programs and early work experiences for youth in the child welfare or juvenile justice system.
Tags:Access to Education|Ban the Box|Child Welfare and Foster Care|Community and School Reentry|Juvenile and Criminal Justice|Second Chances|Transitions to Adulthood (Foster Care)
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July 26, 2017
Tips and Legal Strategies to Support Youth with Disabilities
posted by Juvenile Law Center
Youth with disabilities are significantly overrepresented in the child welfare system, and planning for their transition out of care and into a successful adulthood presents unique challenges. Juvenile Law Center produced a four-part webinar series that provides tips and legal strategies to help support child welfare-involved youth as they prepare for that transition.
Tags:Access to Education|Access to Healthcare|Child Welfare and Foster Care|Extended Care and Reentry (Foster Care)|Fostering Connections|Normalcy for Foster Youth|Older Youth with Disabilities|Permanency (Foster Care)|Transitions to Adulthood (Foster Care)
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July 18, 2017
posted by Juvenile Law Center
Twenty-seven years ago this month, Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law. This landmark civil rights legislation prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability and requires that people with disabilities have the opportunity to live, work, and access services in the community to the same degree as their non-disabled peers. The ADA requires reasonable accommodations be made so that differently-abled people may lead full, rich lives. These protections apply to everyone with a disability – including young people in the child welfare and juvenile justice system.
Tags:Access to Education|Access to Healthcare|Coveredtil26 (Health Insurance)|Child Welfare and Foster Care|Juvenile and Criminal Justice|Mental Health Treatment|Normalcy for Foster Youth|Older Youth with Disabilities|Permanency (Foster Care)|Transitions to Adulthood (Foster Care)
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