A Message from our Project Team
Care & Closure has served as King County’s plan for youth healing, accountability, and community safety. The plan has developed a set of recommendations to expand community-based alternatives to secure youth detention with an ultimate goal of eventually closing the current facility at the Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center. Although closure is unlikely during the current administration’s short tenure, King County Executive Shannon Braddock has committed to advancing the Advisory Committee recommendations, improving conditions for youth currently in detention, and centering Care First. This newsletter will continue to provide project updates, information on youth legal system transformation, and youth-focused community events to keep you informed as we transition into the implementation phase of this work.
From Care & Closure to Care First
Care First represents a refocus of King County’s youth justice work; one that advances us from strategic planning toward real-world implementation. This shift reflects lessons learned from community engagement, the King County Council’s recent vote on secure detention, and a growing desire across stakeholders to move beyond polarization and toward a shared commitment to community healing, youth well-being, and public safety.
The transition from Care & Closure to Care First is grounded in the final recommendations of the Care & Closure Advisory Committee. After nearly two years of deliberate discussion, data and best practice reviews, research into effective youth-centered alternatives to detention, and engagement with over 1,800 community members, we have reached full-consensus. Collectively, these recommendations outline a new care-based system that supports youth and communities while reducing reliance on secure detention.
1. Develop a FIRS-like Respite and Receiving Center: A safe, trauma-informed program modeled after the successful FIRS program where law enforcement can bring youth under 18 at the time of arrest.
2. Provide Short-Term Respite Housing: Utilize existing non-secure units to house youth who cannot return home due to safety concerns.
3. Offer Enhanced Immediate Supports for Youth Returning Home: When youth return home or to kinship care, they’ll receive next-day check ins, continued assessments, safety planning, and basic needs support.
4. Build a Network of Community Care Homes: Develop a distributed network of 24/7 staffed homes for youth who cannot safely remain at home while their court case proceeds.
5. Strengthen Community Infrastructure: Invest in culturally responsive, developmentally appropriate services available to all youth whether they are home, with relatives, or in community-based placements.
6. Center Community in Implementation: Ongoing community voice and leadership will be core to the implementation of all recommendations.
This is more than a name change; it marks a meaningful step towards action and implementation. Care First builds on King County’s foundation of restorative, trauma-informed care and reflects a belief that true accountability is about responsibility, repair, and growth. Care First aims to prioritize stability, consistency, and wraparound care as the foundation for long-term public safety.
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Executive Braddock Visits Youth in Detention
Executive Braddock participated in a listening session at the Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center, where she met with four girls currently being held in detention. The girls shared their experience in detention, discussing conditions that could be improved, from mattresses to care products. They also discussed programming in detention that has been beneficial. One girl specifically named Fresh Start as one of the organizations whose programming she appreciates and finds helpful in preparing for her return to community and life in general. There are more than 20 organizations providing programming for youth in detention.
Listening sessions in detention have been one of many ways the project has centered the voices of youth directly impacted. Their feedback was used to inform recommendations and will be centered in implementation planning. Youth participants are informed and provided updates on King County youth justice transformation efforts. They are also given the opportunity to share concerns they have and offer suggestions on ways we can improve systems to facilitate pathways for them to overcome challenges that lead them to detention. They were open about what it will take to keep them from coming back. The girls were delighted that Executive Braddock visited them.
"As we refocus King County's youth justice work, meeting with some of the girls currently in our facility was an important opportunity to listen and learn how we can continue to center care first," said Executive Braddock. "I appreciate the openness of the girls as they shared tangible and practical things that could build trust and support them in improving their lives for when they return to the community. I also want to thank our staff for the care and safety they are providing to the young people at our facility as they work to build relationships and trust, too."
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Community Care Home Pilot Launched
On June 18, King County officially launched the Community Care Home pilot, marking a major milestone in the County’s youth justice transformation. The launch event brought together community members and system partners, and included opening remarks from Executive Braddock, which introduced a new vision for youth care that centers healing, accountability, and community connection. The pilot is one of six core recommendations from the Care & Closure Advisory Committee, and reflects years of community input, research, and planning. It offers an alternative to detention for youth who cannot safely return home while their case proceeds, providing them with safe, supportive housing and wraparound services rooted in best practices and lived experience.
The kickoff highlighted not only the goals of the pilot but also the collaborative structure guiding its implementation. With support from the national experts at Catalyze Justice, the pilot aims to build a sustainable care-based alternative that reflects the realities and needs of youth in King County. This pilot is part of the broader Care First initiative, King County’s commitment to investing in community-rooted responses that strengthen families, reduce reliance on detention, and support long-term public safety through care, instead of punishment.
We are moving into the next phase of implementation and budget planning for proposed recommendation #4, Network of Community Care Homes. We will soon be reaching out to stakeholders to begin designing the space that will serve as an alternative to detention.
Join Us at the Next Advisory Committee Meeting
Our Advisory Committee meeting schedule has changed. Meetings will be held bi-monthly on the 4th Monday of each month (unless there is a holiday) from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. We will use this meeting space to provide project updates and get feedback from community. Check out the 2025 meeting dates below.
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September 22, 2025
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November 17, 2025 (due to Thanksgiving)
You can find more information on the meetings and the previous meeting notes on the project website.
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Youth Justice Resources
Upcoming Community Events
August 7, 2025: The YMCA is hosting Car Wash for a Cause to help fund their youth and young adult transitional living programs for summer job readiness and school needs. Stop by to get your car washed, hear music, and get free Seattle dogs! The event will be held at 1000 Auburn Way S., Auburn, WA 98002 from 1PM-4PM. They are also accepting donations: new undergarments, socks, shoes, hygiene products, hair care, and cash. For more information contact ktmiller@seattleymca.org.
August 14, 2025: The ReOpp Back to School Resource Fair will be held at 645 Andover Park West, Tukwila, WA 98188 (YouthSource Tukwila parking lot) from 3PM-5PM. They will be giving away free backpacks and school supplies, food boxes, and prizes. There will also be a host of organizations sharing information about programs and services offered in community. For more information contact Panome.Thilaphanh@kingcounty.gov or visit their webpage at Reconnect to Opportunity.
August 30, 2025: Better Vision Outreach and BVO are hosting their 4th Annual Back-to-School Function Pop Up Shopping & Resource Fair. They will have free backpacks and school supplies, facepainting, live entertainment, food, giveaways, and more. The event will take place in Skyway, WA from 12PM – 6PM. For more information email: bettervisionoutreach@gmail.com or call 206-733-0100.
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