In Michigan, children and youth may interact with several different systems that provide out-of-home care and treatment. The most commonly discussed are the child welfare and the juvenile justice systems. Both of those systems are also deeply connected to the pediatric behavioral health system, which can be more commonly understood as dealing with mental health.

Michigan Center for Youth Justice has just received a $1 million grant from the Public Welfare Foundation to lead a statewide coalition focused on building upon the historic reforms passed in 2023 through the Justice for Kids and Communities Act.

Each April, organizations, individuals and even states across the country work to raise awareness about the barriers faced by those with a criminal record by recognizing Second Chance Month. But adult former offenders are not the only people impacted by the stigma of a criminal record.