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Unpacking Children & Youth Homelessness

Join Columbia Legal Services for a public panel discussion on the topic of children and youth homelessness in our state and what we can do to help tackle this very urgent issue affecting so many young people. CLE credits pending for minimal fee. More

New Reports from the Children & Youth Project

The Children & Youth Project has been studying student homelessness in Washington State and working to help homeless students succeed. See their latest reports.

Modern Day Debtors' Prisons

Washington courts are locking up people for being poor. A report by CLS and the ACLU of Washington describes how the burden of court-mandated fines and fees leads to poverty, and frequently, jail time. More

Ensuring Access to Healthcare for Low-Income Immigrants

Washington hospitals were improperly denying immigrants access to "charity care," a crucial safety net for the working poor. Our advocacy reversed discriminatory billing practices and empowered immigrant families to escape crushing medical debts. More

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***Welcome to Columbia Legal Services***

ADVOCACY HIGHLIGHT

Improving Outcomes for Children: The Children and Youth Project helped make progress for Washington children in the 2014 legislative session, including a long-sought expansion of attorney access for foster youth, and sealing juvenile records-reducing a major barrier to adult success. More

OUR IMPACT

2002-2007: State and federal agents intimidated primarily Spanish-speaking childcare providers and accused them of fraud. Our advocacy resulted in the fraud claims being dropped, damage awards to the affected providers, and changes to the investigative procedures of DSHS. More

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