Editing Youth Guard (section)

==History==
===Background===
In the case Reed v. PRT, the parents of [[Reed]], one of the [[Wards (Inaugural)|Inaugural Wards]], alleged that Reed was not being given the time or resources to live a full and rich childhood during his time in the Wards. The PRT lost the case and Reed won certain rights and privileges, to be monitored by the same expert witnesses who testified on his parents’ behalf at the trial. They were given free access to the PRT locations and to Reed himself.<ref name=":0">In the Reed v. PRT ruling, the parents [names redacted] of Reed, one of the first Wards, alleged that he wasn’t being given the time or resources to live a full and rich childhood.  The PRT lost the case and Reed won certain rights and privileges, to be monitored by the same expert witnesses who testified on his parents’ behalf at the trial.  They were given free access to the PRT locations and to Reed himself.<br><br>Following the trial, efforts were made to reach out to and check with other Wards, by these experts, by journalists, and by volunteer outreach.  Many of these efforts were stymied or fruitless, especially when the organization lost their inside access with Reed’s departure from the Wards and PRT, and the original team of Wards scattered to multiple locations or ‘aged up’ into the Protectorate.  In a confluence of further rulings on behalf of new Wards, activist outreach, and fresh questions from media about the Wards program, the PRT agreed that the Youth Guard could act as a ‘separate but integrated’ organization adjunct to the Wards. - [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bFLkNlycuTmRJIECK2K5od_3nyPp0koTGmKyzg_CQVM/edit Organization: Youth Guard]</ref>

Following the trial, there were efforts to reach out and check with other Wards by experts, journalists, and volunteers. An organization was formed, one which would become the Youth Guard. However, many of the Youth Guard's efforts to help more Wards were stymied, especially after the organization lost their inside access after Reed's departure from the Wards and PRT, but after further rulings on the behalf of Wards, activist outreach, and media scrutiny, the PRT agreed that the Youth Guard could act as a ‘separate but integrated’ organization adjunct to the Wards.<ref name=":0" />

The Youth Guard quickly snowballed in size, drawing from television appearances, lucrative charity drives and mass public support. They gained widespread national support, with Youth Guard bumper stickers, shirts, and ‘badges’ becoming a common sight across America. 68% of those polled said that they believed they were directly supporting the Wards program by donating to the Youth Guard. 62% believed they were directly supporting their local teams. As of 2012, the Youth Guard had an estimated 30,000 employees.<ref name="PRT" />

===Story Start===
The Youth Guard reached out to various superhero teams with underage parahumans such as [[New Wave]],<ref name="II2.5e2" /><ref name="II5.6">“Natalie,” Tristan said.  “If they Youth Guard were active, they’d say no, and the kids would get involved anyway.  That ''was'' a thing that happened in my experience.”<br /><br />“Oh man, my brother and I gave everyone headaches,” Crystal said.  “Our grades dropped and our parents were told we had to give up the costumes for a few months until we pulled them back up.  Our parents, the Youth Guard, even the PRT was asked to keep an eye out for us.  We were scoundrels.” - [[Shadow 5.6]]</ref> [[Reach]],<ref name="II9.x">“I…” Mr. Vaughn said.  “Find myself in a difficult position.  On a certain level, I very much agree.  Where I’m leery is that we have had attention from the Youth Guard.  Gender freedom, freedom of expression, sexuality- they are touchy subjects.” - [[Interlude_9.x_II]]</ref><ref name="II9.z">A conspiracy.  Mr. Vaughn knew part of it was a lie, but he wouldn’t press.  Reach would get in trouble with the likes of the Youth Guard if it sanctioned minors going after professional killers, as much as it wanted the credit for arrests.  The rest of the team knew that part or all of it was a lie, but they didn’t want to get in trouble with Mr. Vaughn or Reach. - [[Interlude_9.z_II]]</ref> and Dryad Project 3.<ref name="II10.12">“I haven’t fought alongside them.  That’s part of it.  The other part is that  Recycler and Retouch are from Dryad Project 3.  Sponsored,” I said.<br />[...]<br />I shrugged.  “The lack of care from sponsors and the hired-on heroes seemed pretty obvious to most.  Then the team got on the wrong side of the Youth Guard, broke or toed the line of just about every damn rule in the book when it came to costumes, school, friendships, throwing kids into violent situations… Two pairs of parents were saying they hadn’t seen their kid in weeks.”<br />[...]<br />I shook my head.  “Two members of the other serious or semi-serious members joined a villain eco-terrorist group.  The team was barely staying afloat with money from sponsors, after a hundred fines from Youth Guard, court cases, more promotion and marketing, and then a reporter dropped an expose.  The sponsor wasn’t a saint in the eco thing, with cover-ups.  The heroes were a distraction.”<br /><br />“Everything that could go wrong went wrong,” Anelace said. - [[Polarize 10.12]]</ref> The attention of the Youth Guard was considered a "guillotine" hanging over the heads of these teams, with the organization focusing on issues such as grades with New Wave, field risks and gender/sexuality issues with Reach, and a variety of issues with Dryad Project 3. In the case of Dryad Project 3, the scrutiny posed by the Youth Guard contributed to the team's eventual collapse.<ref name="II10.12" /> 

There were also cases where the Youth Guard actively helped, such as with [[Kenzie Martin]], who they deemed was being moved around too much and set her up in [[Baltimore]] with her own workshop. Kenzie's experiences with her Youth Guard workers were positive, though those in charge of Kenzie chafed at their presence.<ref name="II2.5e3">“They weren’t a horror story for me.  They said I was being moved around too much and I needed to go somewhere to stay.  Not going to the fun camps and training sucked, but I went back to Baltimore, and I got to set up my workshop, ''fi-nuh-ly''.”<br />[...]<br />“Yep,” she said.  She pitched her voice lower, “The Youth Guard was good to me.  I liked the people who I worked with there, even if the people in charge of me didn’t.  Some of my favorite people next to Mrs. Yamada worked for them. - [[Flare 2.5]]</ref> 

===Post-[[Gold Morning]]===
The organization presumably dissolved after the destruction brought upon by [[Gold Morning]].<ref name="II2.5e1">The Youth Guard or the Y.G. were the group that acted like the union that protected minors in Hollywood.  That ''had'' protected minors in Hollywood.  They were the group that made sure that Wards’ education and options didn’t suffer as a consequence for them being superheroes, that they didn’t dress provocatively, that they were safe and sane, that nobody took advantage, and other stuff. - [[Flare 2.5]]</ref>