Natasha Jordan

In Minnesota’s Ramsey County, prosecutors are reshaping how young offenders are handled, arguing that the traditional juvenile justice model has failed. Instead of relying solely on detention and charges, the county has implemented a restorative justice initiative called (Re)imagining Justice for Youth. Through this approach, teens are offered talking circles with families, victims, and community […]

Across Washington, families are facing setbacks as the state trims funding for early learning programs once seen as a model of support for children in need. The reductions have forced preschools, like those operated by Catholic Charities in Yakima Valley, to shut down entire programs for infants and toddlers, leaving parents scrambling for alternatives. The

Even as Washington, D.C. reports the lowest youth crime levels in three decades, the Trump administration is moving to undo key juvenile justice reforms in the district. A package of bills advanced in the House would allow children as young as 14 to be prosecuted as adults and would repeal laws offering second chances for

Georgia legislators have launched a formal inquiry into a troubling pattern: parents relinquishing custody when a child is hospitalized for psychiatric care because they can’t secure or sustain the intensive services needed at home. In the first hearing of a new House study committee, child welfare leaders, hospital administrators, and clinicians described a system stretched

New Mexico has made history by becoming the first state in the nation to provide free child care for families. The initiative, signed into law this week, ensures that parents earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level will not have to pay for child care services. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham called the move

A California proposal that aimed to curtail the legal rights of survivors of childhood sexual abuse has been defeated. Senate Bill 577, which would have imposed stricter requirements on plaintiffs and narrowed the timeframe in which they could bring lawsuits, did not pass the Assembly and therefore will not become law this session. The bill

As the new academic year begins, former foster youth in Texas will have access to additional resources designed to help them succeed in higher education. A new initiative is rolling out across the state to provide both financial and on-campus support for students who have recently left foster care and are working toward a college

A specialized on-demand transportation service designed for people with disabilities is rapidly widening its footprint across the U.S., operating in more than a dozen states and continuing to grow. Unlike mainstream ride-hail apps, the model is built around assistance and accessibility from the ground up. Working much like other ride-hailing platforms—but tailored for riders who

A Georgia mother has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit to halt the state’s practice of charging parents for the cost of their children’s foster care stays. The complaint, lodged on Aug. 19 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, targets the Department of Human Services along with its Child Support

A New York state psychologist who worked with teens at the Brookwood Secure Center is set to be sentenced on September 10, 2025, after pleading guilty in June to a criminal sexual act involving a youth in her care. Prosecutors say the 47-year-old, Maya Hayes, faces up to two and a half years in prison,