CRITTENTON FAMILY OF AGENCIES
Justice + Joy convenes the 25 members of the Crittenton family of agencies providing direct services in 30 states and the District of Columbia to cis and trans girls, young women, and gender-expansive young people. Each Crittenton agency is an independent nonprofit organization ranging in annual budget size and service mix based on the needs of the local community.
PROJECT DETAILS
Crittenton agencies work collaboratively with each other and Justice + Joy on national research, narrative shifting communication, and advocacy efforts designed to improve the wellbeing of cis and trans girls, young women, and gender-expansive young people through more effective policy and practices.
In close partnership the Crittenton Family of Agencies and Justice + Joy:
Policy and Systems Change:
- Meet with Federal officials, Congressional representatives and White House staff on an on-going basis to advocate for changes to existing programs, services, regulations, and funding streams to advance awareness and action on system transformation and reimagination.
- Provide education, information, and formal recommendations on the development of legislation such as Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act, JDPA, Families First Act, based on the experiences of the Crittenton Family of Agencies.
- Co-host national briefings elevating specific issues such as: The Needs and Potential of Young Mothers in Foster Care; Adverse Childhood Experiences: Multi-System Impacted Girls and Young Women.
- Co-host national webinars to increase awareness of innovative approaches/practices to support cis and trans girls, young women, and gender-expansive young people who experience trauma and/or are involved in multiple systems (child welfare, juvenile justice, homeless/runaway, etc.)
Research
- Continue to fine-tune the approach to the administration of the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and well-being domain survey administered in 2011 and 2014. To date the Crittenton Family of Agencies and Justice + Joy have a clear articulation of the reasons for administering the survey, a protocol, a toolkit to guide agency use of the ACEs (including staff training), and the basis for beginning to gather data on the relationship between ACE scores and well-being domains. We are involved in another adminstration of the ACE survey including well-being domains to conclude in 2022. Additionally, we are working on the development of a youth informed modification to the original ACE survey.