National Training & TA Center for Child, Youth, & Family Mental Health

The term “foster care-to-prison pipeline” refers to the pathways that position children and youth in the foster care system to be far more likely than their peers to experience incarceration and justice system involvement. According to the Juvenile Law Center, 90% of youth with five or more foster placements will enter the justice system. In a separate study from the University of Chicago, over half of foster youth reported being arrested, spending the night in a correctional facility, or being convicted of a crime. Youth of color and LGBTQ+ youth, who are overrepresented in the foster care system, are disproportionately impacted by these outcomes.

By engaging in courageous conversations, participants will learn how the foster care-to-prison pipeline impacts youth and families within systems of care. Further, participants will be inspired by the lived experience of presenters Yusef Preseley and Marquen Teetz. They will be called to action as the webinar asks them to imagine ways of dismantling the foster care-to-prison pipeline in their local communities.

Session Duration: 90 minutes