July marks the 10th anniversary of CLC’s opening in Sacramento. The addition of our Northern California office was a pivotal step in our growth as an organization. Read the latest from CLC in our July E-Newsletter.
10 Years in Sacramento!
July marks the 10th anniversary of CLC’s opening in Sacramento. The addition of our Northern California office was a pivotal step in our growth as an organization. The early days were a whirlwind; it is amazing how far we have come! Our Northern California team has made CLC better, stronger, and more innovative in our practice and advocacy. Our presence in the state capitol has played a crucial role in establishing CLC as a leader in developing and advocating for policies that fundamentally improve the child welfare system.
We are so proud of our growing community of caring and dedicated champions for children and families throughout the Sacramento region. Please join us in celebrating this milestone and read on to learn more about our incredible Northern California team.
CLC Spotlight: Wellness Committee – Johana Fuoco & Phil Layman
Working in and around the dependency system can take an emotional toll on staff. CLC values self-care and building resiliency among our team. The mission of the Northern California Wellness Committee is to promote self-care and encourage the development of healthy coping skills. Committee chairs Johanna Fuoco and Phil Layman believe that it is crucial to consider all aspects of wellness – including physical and mental – with the need to have fun. Whether it’s scavenger hunts downtown, office Olympics, or zoom bingo, the committee offers countless ways for staff to engage in community building, to learn from each other, and to laugh together. Thank you, Johanna and Phil, for your incredible work in building a positive and healthy environment so our team can do their best work on behalf of children and families.
Reflecting on 10 Years – A Note from Northern California Regional Director, Brenda Dabney
As we reflect on these past ten years and how much CLC has accomplished, I am genuinely awed by the dedication of that small group of people who believed we could make a difference in the lives of children in Sacramento. Our office has taken the lead in several local and statewide initiatives and established roots in the community. We have improved the dependency practice immensely in Northern California through our legal representation and policy work. Here are just a few of our accomplishments:
- Established collaborative courts with our Family Treatment Court, nonminor dependent court, and CSEC (“Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children”) court in our delinquency system
- Secured funding for our CSEC team, allowing us to focus our work on creating best practices around sexual exploitation
- Launched a new CARE Team this year, where multidisciplinary teams of attorneys, case managers and peer advocates are able to provide more intensive services and support for our clients with higher needs
- Cultivated countless partnerships, including the Sacramento Kings, Mattress Firm Foundation, In-N-Out Burger Foundation and US Born
As we celebrate this incredible milestone and prepare to accomplish so much more in the years ahead, we are grateful to our amazing Northern California staff and the entire community who has supported CLC.
CLC is grateful for the support of the Sacramento community and its commitment to empowering and uplifting those in need. This month we are highlighting the Sacramento Region Community Foundation – a leader in providing grants and volunteer support to Northern California nonprofit organizations. In 2013, the foundation established the Big Day of Giving, which for the past several years has harnessed the power of collective giving to maximize support and provide critical discretionary funding to Sacramento non-profit organizations. CLC participates annually, and each year the support we receive from the community continues to grow. Thank you to the Sacramento Region Community Foundation for your ongoing support and for making our community stronger!
CLC Attorney Katherine McLoughlin is a phenomenal advocate and has been a critical part of CLC’s Sacramento practice since day one. Her colleagues marvel at Katherine’s unique ability to connect with her young clients, as well as her passion for ensuring their safety while maintaining ongoing connections to family.
Just recently, Katherine’s case ended up with a published opinion from the 3rd District Court of Appeal in support of her client’s position. Katherine was advocating for her client to be placed into the home of a relative. The relative had been caring for her client’s sibling for many years, yet there was opposition to placing Katherine’s client into the same home because of restrictions in the licensing process. Sadly, sibling separation is a far too common phenomenon within the foster care system. Often – as was the situation in this case – siblings are separated because of bureaucratic hurdles, and this separation can have lifelong consequences. Katherine was persistent in her advocacy and successfully persuaded the court to place her client with family. CLC’s client is now right where she should be: with her sister.
Not only is Katherine an incredible attorney, she is a valued mentor to new attorneys, law fellows and interns. This devotion to building future legal minds is invaluable. Thank you, Katherine, for your unwavering commitment to children, families and to CLC as an organization!
10 Year Anniversary Proclamation!
Thank you to 5th District Supervisor Don Nottoli for commemorating CLC’s anniversary with a special proclamation. We are proud to be a part of the Sacramento community and feel privileged to support and serve the children and families throughout the region.
Dependency Legal News Vol. 17, No. 3 & 4
Review the most recent legal developments in dependency case law with our July Legal Newsletter. Each month, our talented in-house Writ Team provides an in-depth analysis on case law related to child welfare. Read the latest issue(s) here.
LADL & CLC Meet and Greet
CLC recently joined forces with Los Angeles Dependency Lawyers (LADL), counsel for the parents in Los Angeles and San Diego Counties, to present a series of collaborative trainings. The kick-off event took place at the CLC offices on July 28th, where LADL Parent Partners, social work investigators and attorneys gathered to discuss each firm’s roles as advocates and to strategize on working together to improve our practices. Thank you to CLC Investigator Supervisor, Elsie Van Clief, and LADL Parent Partner, Marisol Montiel, for their hard work in moving this collaboration forward. We are thrilled to be joining forces to better serve families.
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