Ballmer Group

State legislatures are an ever-changing landscape. Some states cram in a year of policy into short sessions, and the membership is constantly turning over. It can be a tough environment for child welfare issues to find traction, even with widespread concern over increases in foster youth and shortages in foster homes.

Youth Advocate Programs (YAP), a community-based juvenile justice and child welfare organization with programs in nearly half of the United States, has received a major investment from Washington-based grant maker Ballmer Group to increase its staff and structural capacity.