After 16 years working in the field, including running a residential program for adolescent girls in the justice and child welfare systems, I had persistent questions about why these systems function the way they do and how their policies and practices really impact young people. My research focuses on understanding how youth and families move through child welfare systems, how child welfare involvement shapes outcomes, and how that varies by race and other circumstances. I believe that answering these questions is fundamental to achieving justice for children and youth.