The federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), established in 1974, was reauthorized and amended in December of 2018 with the enactment of  H.R.6964, Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2018. The JJDPA sets best practices for the care and custody of children involved in the juvenile justice system. Under the Act, states that follow certain federal protections are provided funding for delinquency prevention programs and public safety efforts, and assistance with effectively addressing juvenile crime through the provision of training and technical assistance.

The JJDPA Summary of 2018 Reforms, developed by the Coalition for Juvenile Justice and the National Criminal Justice Association, provides an overview of major changes to the Act.