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Dear Young Center Friends,

This is a difficult letter to write. I’ve had the honor and privilege of serving as Executive Director of the Young Center for nearly 17 years and have made the personal decision that it’s time for me to retire, in June of next year. This is a decision of affirmation. I’ll be 66 in February, and have long wanted to slow down, to travel with my husband, to spend time with friends, to take a breath. What makes this decision if not easy, but at least reassuring, is that thanks to our incredible staff, Board, individual donors and foundation partners, the Young Center is as strong as ever.

When I began this work in 2004, I was the only staff person. Today, the Young Center is a national organization with offices in eight cities across the country. We have more than 70 staff who advocate their hearts out for unaccompanied and separated children, who keep the organization running smoothly, who make sure we have the resources to do our work. It’s what I’m most proud of, that we’ve assembled such strong, dedicated, empathic people to work at the Young Center.

Back in 2004, immigration judges didn’t know what a Child Advocate was; there was no mention of independent advocates in the law. Judges didn’t understand how “best interests” applied to kids in deportation proceedings, where immigration law considers them the same as adults. Today judges, asylum officers, custodial officials, and even the occasional ICE officer ask for best interests recommendations. They ask that Child Advocates be appointed. They take best interests into consideration in making their decisions. That’s because of the work of my colleagues here. All I can say is, if I were a kid on my own from another country, these are the people I’d want by my side.

Given these times, there’s so much more to be done. We fervently hope that in the New Year we’ll begin the work of undoing the damage of these past four years. But regardless of the outcome of this election, we’ll continue to fight for children from all over the world who are here on their own. We have their backs.

I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some of the most fierce, spirited and brilliant people, and I’m so proud of what we’ve built together. I look forward to working with our Board and staff to identify and welcome a new Executive Director and to ensure a smooth transition next summer. We’ve retained a firm to conduct a national search. Stay tuned over the next couple of months when the search goes live.

Thank you so much for your support of the Young Center through the years. This has been the most gratifying and challenging work I’ve ever done. I’ll miss it terribly, but I am looking forward to a new phase of life.

Thank you again for making our work possible.

Warmest wishes,
Maria Woltjen
Executive Director

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The Young Center works with the most vulnerable unaccompanied and separated immigrant children in federal custody so their voices are heard and their best interests are protected. We also advocate for an immigration system that treats children as children.To learn more about our work, visit ** theyoungcenter.org ([link removed])
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Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights . 2245 S. Michigan Ave, Suite 301 . Chicago, IL 60616 . USA