Maria Woltjen

The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights is a non-profit organization whose mission is to advocate for the rights of unaccompanied immigrant children. Guided by the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and state and federal child protection laws, the Young Center has developed the only program in the nation that provides guardians ad litem (Child Advocates) for trafficking victims and unaccompanied immigrant children. Our work serving individual children drives our policy work. Through our work as Child Advocates (guardians ad litem), we promote change by advocating for the best interests of individual immigrant children, thereby educating stakeholders about the importance of considering the ‘Respondent’ as a child. Child Advocates are bilingual and often bicultural volunteers who are trained and supervised by attorneys with experience in children’s rights and immigration law. In every case assigned a Child Advocate, the Young Center provides the child’s attorney (if they are represented) and the decision-maker with a report about the best interests of that individual child.