National Center for Youth Law

08/19/2026

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08/18/2026

This week is SNAP Nationwide Week of Action!

Strong programs help families access the food and support they need. From farmers who grow our food to families putting meals on the table, SNAP strengthens communities across the country. State leaders must invest in its administration and protect access for families and communities.

Tell Congress to invest in SNAP and protect families➡️ tinyurl.com/4rk38xb3

08/14/2026

Tens of thousands of children — some too young to speak — will be forced to navigate a complex immigration system alone, because the Trump administration refuses to pay for legal support Congress has already approved.

Without that protection, many will be deported back to the very violence, trafficking, and danger they fled. Tell Congress to protect ➡️ tinyurl.com/protect-kids

08/06/2026

We're excited to share that NCYL's Mae Ackerman-Brimberg and María Contreras will be presenting at the National Association of Counsel for Children's 49th National Child Welfare Law Conference.

Their session, "Beyond the Silos: Addressing the Intersectional Realities of Exploited Youth," explores how cross-sector collaboration and an intersectional approach can strengthen responses for youth impacted by commercial sexual exploitation.

📅 Thursday, August 13, 2026

Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/3PWHnQI

08/05/2026

NCYL's Mae Ackerman-Brimberg and María Contreras will present at on moving beyond siloed responses to better support youth impacted by commercial sexual exploitation.

📅 Thursday, August 13, 2026

Register: https://bit.ly/3PWHnQI

08/05/2026

Children's access to experienced legal advocates is under attack.

The federal government is replacing the existing children’s legal services network with a $150 million contract with a single law firm with no meaningful experience serving unaccompanied children.

For decades, organizations like Acacia Center for Justice, Immigrant Defenders Law Center, The Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project, and other nonprofit legal service providers have represented unaccompanied children, developing specialized expertise in immigration law and child advocacy.

Children deserve experienced advocates with the knowledge, training, and expertise to protect their rights.

Read more:

None of the Burke Law Group’s lawyers list immigration law as an area of expertise, per the firm’s website.

08/03/2026

Join NCYL's Mae Ackerman-Brimberg and María Contreras at the National Association of Counsel for Children's 49th National Child Welfare Law Conference as they present: Beyond the Silos: Addressing the Intersectional Realities of Exploited Youth

Youth impacted by commercial sexual exploitation do not experience harm in isolation. Their experiences are shaped by intersecting systems and identities, requiring responses that move beyond traditional silos.

During this session, Mae and María will explore how child welfare, youth justice, immigration, health, and education systems intersect, while sharing practical strategies that center lived experience and strengthen cross-sector collaboration to better support youth.

Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/3PWHnQI

07/30/2026

July is BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to recognize the unique mental health experiences of Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color.

BIPOC communities experience unique stressors with intergenerational impacts. These stressors include socioeconomic, geographic, and generational barriers that can affect access to and use of mental health resources among BIPOC individuals, families, and youth.

Addressing the unique mental health needs of BIPOC youth requires culturally responsive care, tailored approaches, and comprehensive training for mental health professionals.

BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month serves as an important reminder of these ongoing barriers while also recognizing the resilience and strength of BIPOC communities.

Learn more:
• https://mhanational.org/bipoc-mental-health/
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9206629/
• https://www.taaf.org/news/youth-mental-health-study
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10808380/
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10105730/

07/29/2026

Technology is playing a growing role in child welfare practice, from predictive risk models to tools marketed as artificial intelligence. But before agencies adopt these systems, we need to ask whether they truly support children and families—or risk reinforcing harms already embedded in the family policing system.

On June 4, the National Center for Youth Law joined Georgetown Law’s Center on Privacy & Technology and Children’s Rights to convene researchers, advocates, practitioners, technologists, policymakers, agency leaders, and people with lived expertise for a day of learning and discussion.

A new blog shares key ideas from the convening and offers critical questions for evaluating data and automation in child welfare:
• What problem are we actually trying to solve?
• What does the technology really do?
• What data does it require, and what risks come with collecting it?
• Who is accountable when harm occurs?
• What policy choices are hidden inside the technology?
• How will we identify and address harmful outcomes?

https://medium.com//5fcbbe2a3fb2

On June 4, 2026, the Center on Privacy & Technology at Georgetown Law, together with co-organizers Children’s Rights and the National…

07/29/2026

The right to be heard before a life-changing decision is made about you is foundational to any fair legal system. For unaccompanied children in immigration proceedings, legal representation is the mechanism that makes that right real. The Trump administration is dismantling that mechanism, not through legislation, but through nonpayment. The contract that funds legal representation for over 20,000 children expires July 31. As legal organizations, we understand better than most what is being lost here. Protect

Contact your members of Congress:
tinyurl.com/protect-kids