Roxana Gomez, Director of Policy & Systemic Advocacy with Jackie Borgonia, LCYC Attorney, in Olympia.
With our eyes focused on the other Washington, it can be hard to stay plugged in on what’s happening locally in Washington State. 2025 not only brought in a new federal administration, but for the first time in 12 years - a new Governor, an almost brand-new Legislature, and a $16 Billion (and growing) state budget deficit.
LCYC went into the 105-day legislative session with 3 top priorities:
Pass SB 5082 – to create a housing assistance program for youth in extended foster care (EFC);
Pass HB 1391 – to increase county resources to expand access to juvenile diversion statewide, and standardize juvenile court definitions and data collection; and,
Secure funding for immigration legal services of foreign-born youth in the care of the Department of Children, Youth and Families.
Of those top priorities, HB 1391 (juvenile diversion) passed. This was the first bill that LCYC has introduced and led on, in partnership with Stand for Children WA. We are thrilled for its successful passage and will continue to advocate for further investment in diversion services.
Funding, or lack thereof, was a critical reason why many proposals, including the housing assistance program for EFC youth and immigration legal services for foreign-born youth, failed. Not only was funding for new programs unavailable but advocates also had to fight to ensure existing funding sources were protected from cuts.
During times of financial uncertainty, it’s not uncommon for cuts to be made to programs that support some of our most marginalized communities. This often presents as short-term savings, but the long-term costs are grand. We also were disheartened to learn that, while the legislature was considering cuts to our social safety net, it was also considering a $27 million dollar appropriation to expand Washington’s juvenile prison footprint. Throughout the session, LCYC leveraged our expertise, platform, and relationships to ensure lawmakers prioritized the things that actually keep us safe, like housing, education, legal services, diversion – not building a new youth prison.
At LCYC, our mission to protect the interests and safety of youth in Washington by advancing their legal rights, is important now more than ever. I’m proud of how LCYC, in coordination with our community partners, demonstrated leadership in all four of our focus areas: child welfare, juvenile court, immigration and youth homelessness, despite the many challenges this legislative session presented.
The work will continue in 2026. Until then, we are resting, strategizing with our community partners and hearing from young people directly so we can push lawmakers to get the pressing job done.
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