LGBTQ+ youth are overrepresented within the juvenile justice system, and often face unique challenges in sentencing, confinement, and treatment. There are several intersecting risk factors that cause this population to fall through the cracks, such as homelessness, bullying, and access to diversion programs. Addressing these issues early can vastly improve outcomes for all justice-involved youth.

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.