The Youth Development Department
of the City of Los Angeles
The mission of the Youth Development Department (YDD) is to foster an equitable and sustainable ecosystem of positive youth development in the City through inclusive, youth-centered, and evidence-based policies and programs to ensure the well-being, safety, and achievement of the young people of Los Angeles.
The YDD strives to elevate the unique experiences, abilities, and voices of young Angelenos to develop and implement lasting solutions to the most pressing issues affecting their families, their communities, and their futures.
The YDD envisions its place in the City’s history as a nation-leading, equity-driven public agency for youth policy development, citywide coordination, and programming innovation. This is a vision that is more important and urgent than ever because of the pandemic’s disproportionate toll on the young residents of L.A., especially Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) youth who are at much higher risk of experiencing income inequality, housing insecurity, foster care, and juvenile justice system involvement, undocumented status, disconnection from both school and employment, or community violence.