Results suggest that an absolute prohibition on detention of status offenders should be sought to divert them entirely from the delinquency system by promoting the most appropriate services for families and the least restrictive placement options for status offending youth. This document provides a set of concrete policy and practice recommendations for limiting or avoiding court involvement for youth who commit non-criminal offenses, such as truancy or running away. Research shows that status offense behaviors are often the result of unmet child and family needs, and that pushing these youth into the juvenile justice system leads to worse individual and community outcomes. Instead, the National Standards promote system reforms and changes in system culture, as well as the workforce needed to ensure adoption and implementation of research-supported policies, programs and practices that effectively meet the needs of youth, their families and the community without unwarranted justice system involvement. Fully outlined recommendations are provided to help reduce court involvement for non-delinquent youth charged with status offenses.