5 Mississippi youth courts receive grants to increase services for families

Funding launches Mississippi Youth Court Institute to focus on best practices

JACKSON, Miss., Sept. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Youth courts in Bolivar, Marion, Harrison, Hancock and Jackson Counties will provide a range of innovative and evidence-based services and support to families through funding from New Allies, a part of national nonprofit Youth Villages.

New Allies is also launching the inaugural year for the Mississippi Youth Court Institute, a collaboration with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), to support the implementation of best practice standards in child welfare through grant funding and ongoing educational and training opportunities for judges.

The grants, averaging up to $65,000 for each court, aim to improve outcomes for children and families related to safety, permanency and family engagement in Mississippi's child welfare judicial proceedings.

"We recognize that judges, as leaders in our child welfare system, play an integral role in supporting system-level changes that will benefit Mississippi's children and families," said Britany Binkowski, director of New Allies. "We are excited to launch the Mississippi Youth Court Institute to provide them with additional resources and technical assistance with support from our partners at NCJFCJ."

New Allies has been partnering with the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services since 2023 to improve outcomes for children and families served by the agency. Working with the Mississippi courts became an extension of the effort, as they play a major role in decision making within the child welfare system.

"We know bringing effective change in child welfare means engaging courts in this work," Binkowski said. "Judicial leadership plays a powerful role in moving our system forward." 

The newly awarded youth court grants will support a range of family initiatives incorporating evidence- and research-based models. Grants will fund:

• Bolivar County Youth Court's family reunification and stability initiative, focusing on high-quality visitation and care coordination to decrease a child's time in foster care and expedite reunification.
• Marion County Youth Court, hiring a staff member to strengthen home safety plans, increase access and utilization of services and integrate family feedback into court decision-making.
• A tri-county collaborative project with Harrison, Hancock and Jackson Counties' youth courts to increase support to moms and expecting moms who are experiencing substance use.

A 2024 study by the Mississippi Commission on a Uniform Youth Court System and Procedures found that the state's youth courts are chronically underfunded and understaffed, according to Lee County Court Judge Staci Bevill, who led the commission.

"The Mississippi Youth Court Institute will help recipient courts bridge some of these funding gaps with targeted resources to improve outcomes for children and families, and in addition provide ongoing educational opportunities for all youth court judges," Bevill said. "Our judges strive every day for our courts to be better than the day before. Having [New Allies] come alongside us to offer these financial resources and educational opportunities will bring new innovation, and we look forward to a long and productive relationship."

Outcomes for the initiatives will be evaluated by the Youth Villages data science department and the NCJFCJ.

For more information about the Mississippi Youth Court Institute, please visit newallies.org or email [email protected].

About the National Council of Family and Juvenile Court Judges: Founded in 1937, the NCJFCJ (ncjfcj.org) is the nation's oldest judicial membership organization dedicated to improving outcomes for children and families. Through training, research and policy development, the NCJFCJ supports judges and court professionals in advancing trauma-informed, evidence-based practices in child welfare, juvenile justice and related fields.

New Allies (newallies.org) is a consulting and technical assistance initiative of Youth Villages, designed to help child welfare leaders and system partners navigate long-term system transformations to give children and families their best chance at success.

Youth Villages (youthvillages.org) is a national leader in mental and behavioral health committed to finding the most effective solutions to help children, families and young adults overcome obstacles and live successfully. Working through direct services and partnerships with other high-performing agencies and advocacy, the organization collaborates to bring positive change to child welfare, children's mental health and justice systems. Youth Villages has 5,000 employees serving more than 47,000 children and young adults in more than 100 locations in 29 states and Washington, D.C.

SOURCE Youth Villages, Inc.