Child and Youth Engagement

Children and youth are experts in their own lives. Their meaningful participation is essential, particularly in decisions related to legal, cultural, and relational permanency. Many courts and legal professionals must adopt new approaches to training, policy, and practice to support this engagement. This course provides practical guidance to ensure children and youth can participate safely and effectively in shared decision‑making. This asynchronous training was developed by the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law, the National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC)—including the NACC’s National Advisory Council for Children’s Legal Representation—and With Lived Experience.

Funded by the Children’s Bureau of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the Quality Improvement Center on Engaging Youth in Finding Permanency (QIC-EY) is charged with advancing child welfare programs and practice to ensure that they are engaging and empowering children and youth authentically, especially in relation to permanency decisions. This five-year project is dedicated to making systemic changes in how children and youth are engaged authentically, as reflected in intentional policy, practice and culture shifts.

Learners will be guided through the five modules to build their skills for engaging with children and youth. Each module includes interactive elements, videos, and supplemental written and narrated content.