LCYC and YouthCare first formally partnered together in 2015 to bring legal aid services to young people experiencing homelessness. When LCYC was preparing to launch the Youth Homelessness Program over eight years ago, YouthCare provided connections to young people and space for young people to meet with attorneys, as LCYC was (and has continued to be) a remote organization. LCYC values meeting young people where they are, so attorneys regularly visit shelters and drop-in centers to connect with young people and better understand their legal needs.
YouthCare understood early on the value of legal services for young people experiencing homelessness and supported LCYC in establishing our program by providing startup funding and jointly presenting about the importance of civil legal aid in holistically serving young people. LCYC helps with a variety of legal needs, including quashing warrants, vacating adult criminal records, sealing records, assisting with restitution or LFOs, and addressing various debts. LCYC attorneys provide legal literacy training and resources, which helps to establish trust and facilitate a connection with the young people they represent.
LCYC attorneys perform outreach at YouthCare’s Orion Center
Today, LCYC and YouthCare continue to work collaboratively towards the goal of providing holistic, youth-centered services to young people experiencing homelessness. In 2022, LCYC and YouthCare expanded their work together by creating a formal partnership to support young people aged 18 to 24 who have recently been released from jail, prison, or detention in either criminal legal or immigration systems. Young people leaving systems of care often face homelessness due to inadequate support and/or legal barriers. These obstacles can often include lack of shelter, disparities in employment and education, or legal barriers.
This partnership with YouthCare is unique in that it takes a multidisciplinary approach to addresses issues commonly faced by young people. YouthCare offers connections to shelter, housing, employment, behavioral health, education, flexible financial assistance, case management, and other critical support services for young people experiencing homelessness and housing instability, services that are complemented by LCYC’s legal advocacy. Together, these services support the successful re-entry of young people who are exiting the legal system.
Young people exiting from systems of care, including the legal system, are particularly vulnerable to experiencing housing instability. According to data released in June 2023 by the Department of Social and Human Services, Research and Data Analysis in collaboration with the Department of Commerce, 1,097 youth and young adults who exited from systems of care in from July 2020 - June 2021 experienced homelessness within 12 months after their exit. This emphasizes the need for cross-agency partnerships to address the range of issues that young people face. The partnership between LCYC and YouthCare demonstrates the power of collaboration in addressing the complex needs of young people experiencing homelessness.