Addressing Homelessness for Youth Involved in the Juvenile and Family Justice System

The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) is proud to have the opportunity to further local efforts to address the unique needs of our children and families. In 2021, the NCJFCJ published the first of its kind, a toolkit for family court judges to better recognize red flags of families facing or experiencing homelessness. In 2023, SJI funded this project to pilot the toolkit locally within Washoe County, Nevada. Our judges who reside within the 2^nd Judicial District Court were thrilled to utilize their judicial leadership and compassion to assist in these efforts to help end a cycle of court engagement due to poverty, homelessness, and hunger. Through judicial guidance, we now have five local pilot sites with key community partnerships, who are taking a proactive stance to help divert families from moving further into the justice system and to appropriate align point-in-time services to youth and families facing adversity.  

Judicial leadership plays a pivotal role in shaping these efforts. As emphasized in the toolkit, “Sometimes judges have sufficient information to know a youth is experiencing homelessness. Often, however, homelessness is hidden, and judges should understand what red flags or warning signs may indicate homelessness.” This reminder reflects the core purpose of the toolkit, to guide judges and system partners in recognizing the unseen challenges youth face and ensuring timely, compassionate interventions.

Our community partners have echoed this sentiment.

“The toolkit really serves as a foundation for consistency and alignment across programs, helping ensure we’re collecting and reviewing information in a structured and uniform way. I also think it supports evidence-based decision-making by translating data into actionable insights—allowing you to identify trends, resource gaps, and areas of success rather than relying solely on anecdotal input.”

-Representative from the Washoe County Department of Juvenile Services

This alignment across systems strengthens collaboration and improves outcomes for justice-involved youth and their families. As Co-Author Elisha expressed, “The consistent utilization of this toolkit transforms awareness into action. It bridges the gap between systems and services, ensuring that no young person facing homelessness falls through the cracks.”

Utilizing this toolkit is more than a process; it’s a commitment to changing lives, every time we use it to connect a young person to resources, we open the door to opportunity, dignity, and hope. By bringing the toolkit off the shelf and into practice, partners can identify vulnerable youth earlier, connect families to housing and wraparound services faster, and reduce the likelihood of court involvement driven by economic hardship.

The NCJFCJ remains committed to ensuring that the lessons learned through research and practice inform national efforts to better serve children and families in crisis. The power of application, turning research and innovation into action, is what ultimately drives meaningful change, giving our youth the stability, safety, and opportunity they deserve.

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