In March, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion that promised to tackle one of the most pressing issues the county’s child welfare and juvenile justice systems face: how to change the tragically life-altering effects of being caught up in both.

For oft-labeled “crossover youth,” having a foot in both systems can easily result in incarceration, homelessness and substance abuse issues later in life. Amid the bleak outcomes for foster youth and those involved in the juvenile justice system, this particular group of youngsters fare the worst.

Michael Nash — the onetime presiding judge of L.A. County’s juvenile courts, and a past president of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges — now leads the county Office of Child Protection. And he has been tasked with leading the charge with a mind to convene some of the brightest minds in the county and nation toward this intractable goal.

Nash has extended a wide call to the county’s child welfare and juvenile justice community — including children’s attorneys, county social workers, researchers, community-based stakeholders and other advocates — to invigorate an effort that has flagged a bit in recent years.

To read more of Jeremy Loudenback's article, visit: 
https://chronicleofsocialchang...rossover-youth/31198