According to a new report from the Office of the D.C. Auditor (ODCA), it is difficult for D.C. leaders to identify and support young people involved in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, making it difficult to coordinate services for these vulnerable “crossover youth.”
The 125-page report, titled “A Broken Web: Improved Interagency Collaboration is Needed for D.C.’s Crossover Youth,” highlights significant gaps in the District’s ability to serve the young residents, who are at risk of becoming victims or perpetrators of violence.
Despite the recent focus on illegal behavior by young people in D.C., there is little understanding of the life experiences of crossover youth. The report noted that these young individuals often enter the child welfare system due to abuse or neglect and subsequently engage in delinquent behavior, resulting in involvement with both systems.
“Our child welfare and juvenile justice agencies have a real opportunity to lead in the creation of a system that supports our crossover youth and improves the lives of our most vulnerable young people,” said D.C. Auditor Kathy Patterson.
The Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) and the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) need to work together more effectively, according to the report that ODCA commissioned and researched by the Council for Court Excellence (CCE), a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C.
Key findings from the report include:
- CFSA and DYRS do not consistently define crossover youth as per the D.C. Code, leading to an incomplete identification of this population.
- Each agency needs to identify crossover youth in their guiding documents, data management systems, policies, or practices and recognize the unique needs of these youths.
- There needs to be more communication, collaboration, and data-sharing between agencies regarding crossover youth in D.C.
The comprehensive report includes 25 recommendations to improve the coordination between CFSA and DYRS and align programming and approaches to serve crossover youth better. Key recommendations include:
- Providing requested data on crossover youth to the Ombudsperson for Children (OFC) for annual reporting.
- Including priorities focused on crossover youth in future strategic plans.
- Flagging a youth’s crossover status in case management systems.
Youth enter the child welfare system following substantiated reports of maltreatment, such as neglect or abuse, and may cross over to the delinquency system when they engage in illegal behavior or status offenses like truancy.
Child development experts note that the trauma from maltreatment can lead to delinquent behavior, with research indicating that higher exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increases the likelihood of serious delinquency.
While there is no national data on crossover youth, estimates suggest that around 30% of youth in the child welfare system become involved in the delinquency system, with some jurisdictions reporting up to two-thirds crossover rates. The authors determined that social factors such as poverty further increase the risk of involvement in both systems.
The report underscored the lack of a unified approach in D.C. to address the needs of crossover youth, resulting in inadequate identification, coordination, and programming for these young people. Enhanced collaboration between key youth-serving agencies and relevant federal and state partners is crucial for helping crossover youth thrive and preventing future delinquency.
“CFSA, DYRS, and the District have a real opportunity to create a system that truly supports crossover youth, improving the lives of our most vulnerable young people and making our community safer overall,” the report’s authors conclude.
Tracy Velázquez, the policy director at the Council for Court Excellence, a nonprofit that advocates for improvements to the city’s criminal justice system, noted that how crossover youth are labeled and treated are key in trying to prevent them from becoming victims or criminals of violence, and addressing public safety overall.
“When we portray these children as bad kids, it enables us to think about harsher penalties and diminish the worth of their lives,” asserted Velázquez. “The way that we improve community safety is by improving the wellbeing of the people in the District of Columbia. And this is, I believe, a very important way that we can do so.”
