Research has demonstrated that adolescents with a high-quality supportive adult in their lives are more likely to enroll in post-secondary education often resulting in a happy and more productive adulthood. Mentor programs can provide that supportive adult that so many youth who are involved in the juvenile justice system need. Through our work at NDTAC, we have promoted the idea of increased positive adult role models for youth who are system-involved results in better youth outcomes.
Family and Community Engagement

This section provides resources for the families of children and youth who are involved in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems, as well as for practitioners, administrators, and policy makers to help enhance family and community engagement in the services they provide.
Overview
Family and community engagement in the education of children and youth is an essential component for ensuring academic and career success, regardless of the setting in which educational services are provided.
In relation to Title I, Part D, the Nonregulatory Guidance states that "an SA [State agency] must assure that it will work with parents to secure their assistance in improving their children's and youth's educational achievement and, as appropriate, preventing further involvement in delinquent activities." Further information on enhancing family and community engagement is provided in the resources throughout these pages.
Featured Resources
The third edition of NDTAC's Transition Toolkit brings together strategies, existing practices, and updated resources and documents on transition to enable administrators and service providers to provide high-quality transition services for children and youth moving into, through, and out of education programs within the juvenile justice system. The strategies are categorized by facility-centered activities, youth-centered activities, family-centered activities, and community/systems-centered activities across all four stages of transition.
Prevention Resources
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Model Programs Guide is a database of over 200 evidence-based programs. This database can be used to find programs that cover a continuum of youth services from prevention through reentry.
Entry & Residence Resources
Research has demonstrated that adolescents with a high-quality supportive adult in their lives are more likely to enroll in post-secondary education often resulting in a happy and more productive adulthood. Mentor programs can provide that supportive adult that so many youth who are involved in the juvenile justice system need. Through our work at NDTAC, we have promoted the idea of increased positive adult role models for youth who are system-involved results in better youth outcomes.
The third edition of NDTAC's Transition Toolkit brings together strategies, existing practices, and updated resources and documents on transition to enable administrators and service providers to provide high-quality transition services for children and youth moving into, through, and out of education programs within the juvenile justice system. The strategies are categorized by facility-centered activities, youth-centered activities, family-centered activities, and community/systems-centered activities across all four stages of transition.
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Model Programs Guide is a database of over 200 evidence-based programs. This database can be used to find programs that cover a continuum of youth services from prevention through reentry.
Exit & Reentry Resources
Research has demonstrated that adolescents with a high-quality supportive adult in their lives are more likely to enroll in post-secondary education often resulting in a happy and more productive adulthood. Mentor programs can provide that supportive adult that so many youth who are involved in the juvenile justice system need. Through our work at NDTAC, we have promoted the idea of increased positive adult role models for youth who are system-involved results in better youth outcomes.
Explores a reentry program directed at supporting incarcerated youth by providing mentors as role models and focusing on addressing key obstacles to reentry, employment and education.
The third edition of NDTAC's Transition Toolkit brings together strategies, existing practices, and updated resources and documents on transition to enable administrators and service providers to provide high-quality transition services for children and youth moving into, through, and out of education programs within the juvenile justice system. The strategies are categorized by facility-centered activities, youth-centered activities, family-centered activities, and community/systems-centered activities across all four stages of transition.
The U.S. Department of Education, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, announced today $5.7 million in new grants aimed at improving outcomes for students who have been involved in the criminal justice system. The Department also released a new toolkit providing guidance to educators and others to support a successful reentry system for formerly incarcerated youth and adults. The announcement is part of the Obama Administration’s National Reentry Week, led by the U.S.
The Family Engagement Inventory (FEI) is designed to assist professionals in child welfare, juvenile justice, behavioral health, early education, and education learn more about how family engagement is defined and implemented across these fields of practice.
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Model Programs Guide is a database of over 200 evidence-based programs. This database can be used to find programs that cover a continuum of youth services from prevention through reentry.