Center for Children & Youth Justice

All children and youth deserve a fair chance.

The Center for Children and Youth Justice (CCYJ) is the only statewide organization focused solely on reforming Washington state’s child welfare and youth legal systems. Since its founding nearly 20 years ago, CCYJ has pioneered, developed, and advocated for countless innovations that have led to more compassionate, equitable, and effective support for Washington children, youth, and families. 

We are able to realize these improvements in health, safety, and well-being not as a direct service agency working with those who need care, but as a partner with service providers, government, the community, and far-sighted philanthropists. We do this by applying three distinct modalities across the entire ecosystem of care:

• Facilitating multi-system coordination and collaboration, 
• Providing training and ongoing technical assistance, and 
• Advocating for data-driven and youth-centered solutions.

Who We Are

The Center for Children & Youth Justice (CCYJ) is creating better lives for generations of children and youth through reform of foster care, juvenile courts, and related systems of care.

Our Mission 

To create better lives for generations of children and youth by reforming the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

Our Vision

Our vision is that all children, youth, and young adults are healthy, safe and thriving; cared for by their community; valued as they are; and have a sense of belonging.

CCYJ Equity Statement

“Our mission is to create better lives for generations of children and youth by reforming the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Through this reform we seek a state of racial and ethnic equity – where no child or youth’s racial or ethnic identity predicts, in a statistical sense, how they fare. We understand that racial inequities and injustices are the result of racist policies and practices. We act upon this understanding through our organization-wide commitment to anti-racism – the work of actively opposing racism by advocating for changes in the political, economic, and social realms in which children and youth live and grow. Our mission and the active work of anti-racism cannot be separated.” – CCYJ Staff and Board of Director

What We Do

Our Approach

By convening and partnering with parents, advocates, service providers and policymakers, CCYJ develops and advances innovative approaches to systemic change to support kids, stabilize families, and strengthen communities. We work to achieve research-based, data-driven, tangible outcomes for generations of youth.

What Our Partners Say…

“CCYJ has championed quality care, equity, and compassion for people working with families. One such example is their advocacy to create and implement early childhood courts. CCYJ secured funding to help implement this work in different communities throughout Washington. …Without their efforts, our community would not be able to offer these additional resources to our families, which has absolutely had a positive impact.”

—Shauna McCloskey, Therapeutic Specialty Courts Coordinator, Clark County Superior Court 

“When I have an idea or a proposal that I think would be beneficial beyond the county borders, my first call is to my supervisor. My second call is to CCYJ to see if partnership or taking the work statewide is possible. It is not uncommon for me to have an idea, a wish, a hope that is beyond my scope of work. CCYJ has always taken that idea, brainstormed, and then led the work statewide.”

—Kelly J Mangiaracina, Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) Policy and Program Manager, King County 

“CCYJ’s convenings are great at providing opportunities to learn about services in the community, and they encourage open sharing.  Their staff bring in different viewpoints, always with careful consideration of human rights. They are kind, human-centered individuals who listen to the voices of survivors and community and represent them well.

—Cameron Norton, Missing and Exploited Youth Program Manager, Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF)