The Youth Advocacy Foundation (YAF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit within the juvenile division of the state public defender agency, the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS). YAF was established in 2001.

Our Mission is the Shut Down the Cradle-to-Prison™ Pipeline in MA by ensuring that our state’s most vulnerable students receive a stable and quality education through expert holistic, individual, and systemic racially-conscious, student-directed advocacy.

Our Vision is that every student who is ensnared in the court system, including emerging adults, has an expert team who can provide zealous education advocacy for them. 

Our Focus is on students who are caught in, or put at risk of being caught in, the family regulation system, juvenile courts, and/or the adult courts.

Our Approach is to leverage the expertise of attorneys and social workers statewide to permanently transform the standard of practice for client and systemic representation in Massachusetts and dramatically improve educational and life outcomes for children, youth, and emerging adults impacted by system involvement.