Who We Are
Just-us Girls is a community based initiative aimed at helping young females and young moms, ages 12-24, including their children.
We support young females and young moms develop Plans to keep themselves and their family safe. If the young female is subject to a Child and Family Services’ Court Application, involved in child protection, and/or the young female has been charged with a Youth Criminal Court Matter we support her in developing a Plan to address the court's concerns. The Just-Us Girls mentor will encourage and assist her in carrying out her Plan.
We are a volunteer-based group of females who have come together to deliver meaningful support services. Over the years we have developed an effective process that provides encouragement, guidance, and support to young women with or without children, helping them navigate through the overwhelming justice system.
Young females, especially those with children, are one of the most vulnerable clients within the child protection and the youth criminal justice system. Primarily because: (1) if they are convicted of a criminal offence, their child(ren) are most likely intrusively impacted by this outcome; and (2) women who are struggling in their lives are often transient and dealing with a number of issues such as addictions, housing, and/or domestic violence resulting with many of their children ending up in care.
Our purpose is clear: to help young females, including those who are expecting or with child, who are in conflict with the law and/or are subject to a child protection application before the Edmonton Provincial Courts.
Our values are strong: Through unbiased support, we aspire to reunify and maintain families and encourage the regard for the rights and freedoms of young female using a restorative justice approach. The young female is pivotal to this voluntary process as she is held accountable to the outcome in relation to her family. By facilitating a means for the young female to be heard, she is not being directed by the respective authority; rather she is an active participant in determining a positive outcome.