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Center for Children & Youth Justice— Our Founding President & CEO Board of Directors Staff Jobs Internships Contact Us Our Work Our Work Early Childhood Courts Keeping Kids in School Reducing Gang Violence Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth Protocol Implementation LGBTQ+ Resource Library Resource Maps Combating Child Sexual Exploitation Improving Stability for Youth Exiting Systems of Care Girls Court Girls Court Kitsap County Girls Court Stabilizing Families Supporting Youth in Military Families News & Events 2024 eQuality Community Convenings 2024 LINC Conference 2024 Becca Conference 2024 Maleng Advocate for Youth Award Breakfast About the Norm Maleng Advocate for Youth Award News Past Conferences & Convenings 2024 eQuality Quarterly Training Series 2023 Becca Conference Directions to Becca Conference Parking Information Conference Meals 2023 Second Annual LINC Conference 2022 Becca Conference 2023 Jammies for Justice 2022 Jammies for Justice CSEC Learning Series & Conference DONATE Click Here to Donate Helpful Information Resources Resources All children and youth deserve a fair chance. At the Center for Children & Youth Justice (CCYJ), we’re changing the way young people experience the child welfare and juvenile justice systems—for the better. By listening to young people and working with partners across Washington State, we’re helping to redesign our child welfare and juvenile justice systems to meet children and youth’s unique needs. Every year we help improve the lives of 50,000 young people. DONATE NOW CCYJ In The News CCYJ President & CEO, Rachel Sottile, and Stand for Children Washington Executive Director, Kia Franklin, recently co-authored an OpEd published in the Spokane Spokesman-Review , highlighting our collaborative work on Juvenile Court Fines & Fees. In 2024, CCYJ & Stand, with our partners from the Debt Free Youth Justice Washington coalition, forwarded our efforts through SB5974 . Over the last decade, the Washington legislature has recognized that charging fines and fees – which used to require youth and their families to pay for prosecution, community service, diversion programs, and many other costs – is harmful. Last year, they took away juvenile courts’ power to impose fines and fees. But people still owe money for fines and fees imposed before July 2023. It’s illegal for courts to accept payment on this debt, but, nonsensically, courts will not write it off as the legislation originally intended. This is causing thousands of people real harm. Uncollectible debt can be a barrier to record sealing, shows up on background checks, impacts credit, and can still lead to harassing calls from debt collectors. This process should also be automatic– when a similar type of relief was not automatic, it was estimated that less than 5% of eligible people were able to get it. Fortunately, legislation PASSED this session that automatically clears juvenile court fines and fees debt: Senate Bill (SB) 5974 , sponsored by Senator Noel Frame . We have been working on this issue for several years now as members of the Debt Free Youth Justice Washington coalition. Our coalition believes that youth deserve to succeed after involvement in the juvenile legal system, which means not leaving them with debt and collateral consequences hanging over their heads. CLICK HERE FOR FULL ARTICLE The 2023 Results are In! Check out CCYJ’s Impact Report, bringing to life the ways in which your investment takes our work where it is needed most. Stay Up to Date Stay up to date on CCYJ’s efforts to create better systems and better lives by joining our e-newsletter mailing list. Sign up for mailing list itemprop="articleBody" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/Article" Stay Up To Date Stay up to date on CCYJ’s efforts to create better systems and better lives by joining our e-newsletter mailing list. Email * Select list(s) to subscribe to Yes, I would like to receive emails from Center for Children and Youth Justice. (You can unsubscribe anytime) Constant Contact Use. Please leave this field blank. By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact © 2022 Center for Children & Youth Justice All Rights Reserved Privacy...