Join us in welcoming new staff and 30 summer law clerks to the CLC team! Plus, check out the highlights from the past month, including the return of our annual back-to-school drive, a call for fellowship proposals, and a donor spotlight on Hop Skip Drive.
Shifting Power & Reconnecting Families
For over a decade, the child welfare community has celebrated June as National Reunification Month. This month we want to recognize our CLC reunification heroes who put words into action, working hard to facilitate reunifying children with their parents when the child welfare system separates them. CLC’s mission centers on strengthening families and keeping children connected, which is why our advocacy begins with the premise that children should be with their parents whenever possible.
Preventing unnecessary separation, creating pathways for early intervention, and investing in a “do whatever it takes” approach to keep families out of the child welfare system are the fuel for CLC’s newest endeavor. CLC is thrilled to announce the launch of our new prevention project serving former foster youth whose children are at risk of child welfare involvement. We are fortunate to have Maria Griglio, a longtime dependency attorney and advocate, joining us as the Directing Attorney for this new and innovative program. Maria, a Certified Child Welfare Law Specialist, brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the project from her many years representing children, and later representing the county, in the Los Angeles Dependency Court. She was instrumental in the development of Los Angeles’ Non-Minor Dependent Court – serving youth and young adults as they prepare for independence and Dream Court, a collaborative court dedicated to helping children and youth who have been commercially sexually exploited. Under her direction, this new arm of CLC will work to break the intergenerational cycle of foster care; address the disparate outcomes for former foster children when they become parents, and reduce the overall foster care population as well as the disproportionate over representation of Black and Indigenous families in the child welfare system. Please join us in welcoming Maria back to the CLC family! This project would not be possible without the generous support of Dara and Conan Barker & the Anthony and Jeanne Pritzker Family Foundation.
If you have any additional questions, please contact our Development Manager, Stephanie Talavera at talaveras@clccal.org.
CLC Empowerment Skate Party
Tie up your skates, and let’s roll!
CLC hosted an empowerment event for several of our young clients this month! Our empowerment events offer clients the opportunity to connect with their peers, learn new skills, and have fun while experiencing new opportunities. In addition, these events allow CLC and partner agencies to engage with clients in a fun group setting to foster a relationship beyond one-on-one sessions. These extra activities are essential for building trust and mutual respect between CLC and our clients. Our staff went above and beyond to ensure our youth had a rad summer skating party. Thank you to Pigeon’s Roller Rink, Arbonne Foundation, Hop Skip Drive, In-N-Out Burger Foundation, Mad World, and more for supporting children and youth in foster care.
Donor Spotlight: Hop Skip Drive
Children and young adults involved with the foster care system face multiple barriers to transportation. That’s why we are grateful for Hop Skip Drive! Hop Skip Drive provides safe and reliable transportation for children and youth.
Transportation remains a considerable barrier for our young clients, and we’re thrilled to partner with Hop Skip Drive and their Care Drivers, who came to the rescue to ensure our youth could attend our empowerment event. Hop Skip Drive has always been dedicated to making a difference in the lives of children and families. They recognize that transportation can be the difference between success and struggle, which is why they are on a mission to use technology, operational expertise, and new thinking to help kids reach their full potential by providing a safe, dependable way to get them where they need to be.
CLC Spotlight: Summer Law Clerks
CLC offers several opportunities for law students, including our summer law clerk program! These opportunities expose students to an array of child and family welfare issues. This summer, CLC is excited to welcome 30 students to CLC from law schools across the country. Our summer program allows lawyers-in-training to benefit from real-world, meaningful experience in the practice of dependency law. The CLC summer law clerk program includes a two-day orientation and training, trips to other courts and facilities that serve abused and neglected children, and regular brown bag training sessions covering topics including trial preparation and advocacy, sexual abuse, The Indian and Child Welfare Act, and delinquency /dependency crossover issues. Learn more about clerkships, internships, and other volunteer opportunities here.
Call for Fellowship Proposals!
Open to rising third-year law students with projects to commence after graduation the following year, CLC welcomes applicants interested in crafting proposals for fellowship projects (such as the Skadden Fellowship Foundation, Equal Justice Works, the Justice Catalyst Fellowship, and others) to begin in Fall 2023. CLC is interested in applicants with specific projects in mind (areas of specialization include mental health, sexual exploitation/trafficking, education, and juvenile justice) and applicants who do not have a specific project in mind but desire to work in a specialty area within CLC.
Learn more here: bit.ly/CLCFellows22
Apply no later than Thursday, July 14, 2022
CLC Fellows in Action
Tamar Anna AlexanianKudos to Skadden Fellow Tamar Anna Alexanian on her recent publication, Black Women & Women’s Suffrage: Understanding the Perception of the Nineteenth Amendment Through the Pages of the Chicago Defender.
Tamar joined CLC as a Skadden Fellow, working with Phyllis Stricklan, our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director. Tamar’s two-year project will enforce the rights of CLC’s LGBTQ+ clients to secure gender-affirming care for transgender and gender non-conforming youth and appropriate foster placements for all LGBTQ+ youth.
A quality education is the best gateway to opportunity. Help us put supplies in the hands of children and youth in foster care so they are ready to learn through our Back to School Drive! Please support CLC’s Annual Back to School Drive – your donation will help boost a child’s confidence and be ready for school with a NEW backpack filled with school supplies. Together, we can ensure that CLC clients begin the school year prepared to learn and reach their full potential.
How you can help:
- Shop our Amazon Wishlist, and your donated items will be delivered directly to us
- Donate! A $40 donation will provide one child with a backpack and supplies*
- Share our campaign! Share our link on social media: https://bit.ly/CLCDrive
*Please include the word “backpack” in the comments section on the donation page to designate your gift*
Newsletter Sign Up (Homepage)
Sign up for our newsletter and we’ll keep you in the loop about all of our latest news, programs and ways to get involved.
"*" indicates required fields