2023-09-21T15:16:42-07:00 2022-12-31 990 2022-01-01 273006526 LEGAL COUNSEL FOR YOUTH AND CHILDREN LEGA 2064940323 PO Box 28629 Seattle WA 98118 Erin Lovell President 2064940323 2023-09-21 1 1 11 1 AAL2 2022 2023-04-26 12:10:37Z Erin Lovell PO Box 28629 Seattle WA 98118 3708587 0 X www.lcycwa.org X 2010 WA Legal Counsel for Youth and Children (LCYC) protects the interests and safety of youth in Washington by advancing their legal rights. We accomplish our mission through direct representation, strong community partnerships, and systemic advocacy. Our four main focus areas include: child welfare, juvenile court, immigrant youth and families, and youth homelessness. LCYC was created, and has continued to evolve, in response to community needs and service gaps, increasing legal literacy and expanding access to justice for young people in Washington. We provide youth-centered, community-based, holistic legal advocacy to hundreds of youth annually. Most are between 12 -24 years in age. Due to racism and oppression, youth of color and LGBTQ+ youth are overrepresented within the systems that LCYC works and among the youth represented by LCYC. We apply lessons learned from young people, community partners, and direct services to inform our systemic advocacy work. 8 8 24 39 0 0 1725426 3154811 522937 550675 391 3101 0 0 2248754 3708587 2577 39639 0 0 1582585 1768714 0 0 148193 202327 281167 1787489 2089520 461265 1619067 1567318 3267719 0 0 1567318 3267719 Legal Counsel for Youth and Children (LCYC) protects the interests and safety of youth in Washington by advancing their legal rights. We accomplish our mission through direct legal representation, strong community partnerships, and systemic advocacy. Our four main focus areas include: child welfare, juvenile court, immigrant youth and families, and youth homelessness. LCYC was created, and has continued to evolve, in response to community needs and service gaps, increasing legal literacy and expanding access to justice for young people in Washington. We provide youth-centered, community-based, holistic legal advocacy to roughly 600 young people annually. Most are between 12 -24 years in age. Due to racism and oppression, youth of color and LGBTQ+ youth are overrepresented within the systems that LCYC works and among the youth represented by LCYC. We apply lessons learned from young people, community partners, and direct services to inform our systemic advocacy work. 0 0 463432 0 440966 CHILD WELFARE:LCYC has represented almost 550 youth in child welfare cases in King County, ranging in age from 1 to 21 years; most youth served are 12 years and older. LCYC's low caseloads, and youth centered service model positively affects the lives of the children we serve. LCYC provides proactive advocacy around issues like placement, family visitation, permanency planning, education, medical and mental health services. LCYC provides proactive advocacy, engaging with children, caregivers, schools, family, services providers, and other community supports. We strive not only to meet the immediate basic needs and rights of the child, but we look towards the future. We follow the child's stated goals, build support around these goals, and help our youth clients to realize long-term stability, positive connections, and school success. In addition to low caseloads, LCYC's model is grounded in a strong community of practice. LCYC attorneys engage in monthly all-staff meetings, regular supervision and case management, and in-house trainings on legal issues and child development. We routinely come together to problem solve on individual matters and to identify systemic barriers and potential solutions. We also engage with the broader community on larger advocacy efforts and trainings focused on children's representation, preparing adolescents for independence, extended foster care, and youth homelessness. LCYC is raising awareness of children's legal rights and the role of counsel in protecting and advocating for young people. Our unique position in this positive movement forward is through the example we set in our advocacy, the trainings we help plan and provide for children's attorneys around the state, and the data we collect and share regarding legal services and results. 517578 35678 577773 YOUTH HOMELESSNESS PROGRAM:LCYC's Youth Homelessness Program (YHP) provides free legal services to youth who are at risk of or are currently experiencing homelessness, helping them to maintain and/or secure stable housing. This program serves people 12-24 years old and experiencing or at risk of homelessness in King County. This includes youth placed out of county, but with plans to exit into King County. Services provided may include legal advice, mediation or negotiation, and in-court advocacy. We are able to assist with a number of civil legal issues including, but not limited to: child protective services, emancipation, gender marker and name changes, identity theft, landlord/tenant issues, public benefits, consumer and medical debt, family law, warrants, immigration, and orders of protection. An independent evaluation conducted by MEMconsultants LLC found that "LCYC's legal advocacy had an immediate, positive impact on clients...65% clients reported safe and stable housing after working with an LCYC attorney, compared to 39% at intake. LCYC advocacy improved housing stability for 70% of minors served." 109843 0 133681 JUVENILE COURT. LCYC provides public defense services for youth who have been charged with a juvenile offense. LCYC advises and addresses the specific charges against the youth, while also offering advocacy around issues such as homelessness, special education, school discipline, access to benefits, and safety at home. In addition, LCYC is one of several legal service entities that provides on-call legal advice to youth who are placed under arrest, before they waive their right to silence. This service, Youth Access to Counsel, is offered through the Washington State Office of Public Defense. 90496 727 81358 YOUTH AND FAMILY IMMIGRATION:In late 2016, LCYC developed a safety plan for parents who are at risk of being picked up or deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The Safety Plan is a set of documents and steps for parents to complete, so that if they are picked up by ICE there is a plan in place for their child. The Safety Plan is intended to reduce the inevitable trauma of separation by providing children with as much stability as possible and avoiding unnecessary involvement in the child welfare system or prolonged separation from their parents. This plan is regularly updated. In addition to the Safety Plan, LCYC provides direct legal services to immigrant youth. The majority of immigrant youth receiving services from LCYC qualify for a unique form of immigration relief called, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). Youth up to 21 years may be eligible for SIJS if a state court determines that the youth was abused, neglected, or abandoned by their parent(s) and that it is unsafe for the youth to return to their country of origin. LCYC partners with Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) and Kids In Need of Defense (KIND) to support youth seeking SIJS. Youth seeking SIJS need help navigating two different legal systems. First, the youth needs an attorney to go to state court for an SIJS eligibility order. Second, the youth needs an attorney to help them apply to the federal government for SIJS. LCYC has expertise in state court to handle the first step. NWIRP and other legal aid providers have expertise in navigating the second step. LCYC and NWIRP also work closely through our homeless youth program, cross referring and jointly representing youth to ensure they are safely housed and their legal needs are met. LCYC is also able to provide direct legal representation to youth whose parents have been placed into custody by ICE. 532200 3234 1378647 SYSTEMIC ADVOCACY AND EXPANSION:LCYC provided legal services to 11 counties in Washington State in 2022. We provided in-person services in Benton, Franklin, King, and Walla Walla Counties. Our virtual law program, VLAW, was established in 2021 to reduce barriers to accessing youth civil legal aid and increase our geographic reach, and provided services to the other counties that we did not have a physical presence in. LCYC's direct services in communities across Washington state informs our systemic advocacy and allows us to identify gaps in policies, practices, and procedures at the statewide level. LCYC's systemic advocacy work includes, among other things: *Drafting or supporting amicus curiae ("friend of the court") briefs filed in appellate courts on issues that impact LCYC clients; * Drafting advocacy letters or letters of support on budget or policy issues that our community partners pursue and request support for at the City, County, or State level; * Providing technical expertise on policy initiatives, ordinances, and bills at the City, County, or State level; * Testifying in policy hearings at the City, County, or State level; and, * Engaging in coalition work to inform and influence budget and policy issues that impact young people that LCYC works with. While our Director of Policy & Systemic Advocacy leads and coordinates LCYC's systemic advocacy work, many staff members are involved in substantive and strategy discussions and may lead on an issue in which they have unique expertise and/or relevant lived experience. In addition to outside requests, LCYC's staff also identify systemic barriers within or across counties. The Director of Policy & Systemic Advocacy engages with the different program teams and staff on a regular basis to ensure our direct services and youth experiences are informing our broader systemic work. 622696 3961 1460005 1713549 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 1 24 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 8 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 WA X Erin Lovell 2064940323 PO Box 28629 Seattle WA 98118 Erin Lovell Executive Director, LCYC President and Treasurer 40 0 X X X 121600 0 1069 Emily Meltzer Director of Development & Communications 40 0 X 100000 0 7127 Rhea Yo Director Legal Services, Youth Homelessness 40 0 X 94000 0 1081 Midori Duarte White Director Legal Services, Justice Expansion 40 0 X 84091 0 7072 Erin McCann Director of Policy and Systemic Advocacy 32 0 X 79232 0 7053 Manja Sachet Board Member, LCYC Vice President and Secretary 2 0 X X 0 0 0 Lily Clifton Board Chair 2 0 X 0 0 0 Michelle Bagshaw Board Chair 2 0 X 0 0 0 Brandi McNeil Board Vice Chair 1.5 0 X 0 0 0 Cuong Ha Board Treasurer 1.5 0 X 0 0 0 Zhi Li Board Treasurer 2 0 X 0 0 0 Rojine Rudio Board Secretary 1 0 X 0 0 0 Catherine Gerlach Board Member 1 0 X 0 0 0 478923 0 23402 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 60096 0 709540 2385175 0 3154811 Legal Services 541100 550675 550675 0 0 0 0 0 0 550675 3101 3101 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 60096 0 0 0 0 0 3708587 553776 0 0 0 0 39639 39639 0 0 0 0 478208 296685 77764 103759 0 0 0 0 1057196 1025898 31298 0 13698 11767 1185 746 90243 80415 3194 6634 129369 111315 9372 8682 62473 2639 59834 27504 27504 50401 37157 1740 11504 20257 6065 2425 11767 25369 20384 3974 1011 32847 24560 4335 3952 14203 13907 236 60 14900 12186 2654 60 0 0 0 0 13861 13770 73 18 Miscellanous 60 0 60 0 Licenses & Taxes 3272 2362 910 0 Memberships Dues 16020 14800 1220 0 2089520 1713549 227778 148193 768154 2466121 799164 801598 1567318 3267719 0 0 X 1302672 1920491 264646 1347228 1567318 3267719 1567318 3267719 1619067 0 81334 0 0 0 X X 1 X 0 1 0 X 249254 790314 1293142 1725426 3154811 7212947 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 249254 790314 1293142 1725426 3154811 7212947 3945241 3267706 0 0 0 391 3101 3492 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7216439 0.45281 0.49926 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 2022 Fundraising Event 60096 0 60096 0 0 250 4813 0 5839 0 0 60096 0 60096 0 0 250 4813 0 5839 10902 49194 1 Basic Needs (Food, Safety, Phone, etc.) 42 16940 0 Fines, Legal Filing Fees, Licenses 32 16606 0 Medical Supplies 1 128 0 Transportation 15 5965 0 Schedule I, Part I, Line 2 Staff must review and follow the written Flexible Financial Assistance Policy created for the program team in accordance with the grant rules for financial assistance. The policy includes eligibility requirements, approved purchases, and the process for documenting the purchases. After reviewing the policy, staff send a request for financial assistance for a particular grantee to the Director of Legal Services for approval and payment with the organization's credit card. The Director ensures the funds are used for approved purchases according to each grant's requirements. After the purchase, the staff is responsible for submitting the receipt to the accountant with information on the grantee, the type of grant funds, and the purpose of the purchase. The accountant ensures each purchase recorded in Quickbooks has a corresponding receipt allocated to the correct grant. Schedule I, Part III No recipient received more than $5000 in the 2022 fiscal year. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 11b LCYC contracted a third-party professional to conduct a financial review, as to our 2022 finances, before we completed the 990 form. LCYC's independently contracted bookkeeper worked on the initial draft of the 990 financials based on the completed financial review. LCYC's Executive Director and Director of Development & Communications worked on the narrative portions and various questions on the 990. LCYC's Board Finance Committee then reviewed the 990 draft, with the opportunity to ask questions and make edits before it was presented to the full board. The full board then reviewed the 990 draft, again with an opportunity to ask questions and make edits before it is voted on. If the board votes to approve the 990, it is then filed by the Executive Director. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 12c Directors are required to review our conflict of interest policy annually and sign off confirming that no conflict exists. If a question arises during the year regarding director or key employee as to their relationship or connections with others and our organization, LCYC's Executive Director and Board Chair engage in an initial dialogue regarding any concerning situations. If there is an identified potential conflict the issue is then discussed with the individual in question and addressed with the full board. In the first quarter of the year, LCYC's Director of Development and Communications made sure all board members completed and sign offed on the conflict of interest forms. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 15 In 2022, with input from staff, LCYC established a salary scale that corresponds with years of experience. Each role has a base salary, with a set salary scale for each year of experience from 0 years of experience up to 10 years of experience. Spanish speakers are eligible for an additional $3,000 annually, beyond their set salary. LCYC's salary scale was discussed with and approved by the Board of Directors. LCYC has reviewed the salaries and benefits provided to attorneys, and other staff, in relation to other nonprofits and public defense in the area. Form 990, Part VI, Section C, Line 19 LCYC's governing documents and financial statements were available to the public upon request Form 990, Part XII, Line 1 Upon annual review from outside accounting firm, financial statements were presented on a modified cash basis. Filing is not late as an extension was properly executed. LCYC did not file by May 15 because we had to wait for a financial review to be completed before final numbers could be compiled for 2022 Form 990.