The Power of CLC’s Collaborative Care
CLC’s team of dedicated professionals is deeply committed to supporting our clients-both in the courtroom and beyond. This work requires organization-wide collaboration, built on trust, strong relationships, and a shared commitment to every child and family we serve.
One powerful example is the case of Jessica, a young mother in foster care, and her son Anthony. Both were represented by CLC – each in a different firm – to ensure their individual needs were met without conflict. Jessica came to CLC at just 16 years old with her infant son after experiencing domestic violence. CLC5 attorney Vivian Cheung was appointed to represent Jessica, while Rachel Iverson of CLC2 represented Anthony.
As the attorneys began working on their respective cases, they partnered with CLC’s Young Parents Support & Advocacy Center (YPSAC) and Peer Advocate Emara Tims. YPSAC provides early intervention support to ensure our expectant and parenting clients have the tools necessary to successfully parent their young children and avoid child welfare involvement. Peer advocates play an equally vital role in connecting young people to resources and support as they navigate the system, while drawing from their own experiences in foster care. Emara went above and beyond, working closely with Jessica, communicating with her social worker, and helping put critical services in place to support a stable and healthy future for both Jessica and her baby.
CLC5 Social Work Investigator, Lorena Morales, worked alongside Vivian Cheung, while CLC2 Social Work Investigator, Leslie Verdugo Serrano, partnered with Rachel Iverson. Together, Lorena and Leslie conducted joint visits with Jessica and Anthony, where they saw firsthand that with the help of their CLC team, and strong caregiver support system, both mother and baby were safe, supported, and thriving.
CLC’s unique case management model demonstrates why it truly takes a village! The staff ensured that both Jessica and Anthony received individualized support while maintaining alignment across their care. At CLC, attorneys and social work investigators are intentionally paired to build trust, strengthen collaboration, and develop a deeper understanding of their clients’ needs.
Today, Jessica maintains custody of Anthony while she is living with a supportive foster mother who not only helps her grow into a confident parent, but also encourages her to embrace her youth and discover who she is beyond motherhood.
We are incredibly proud of Jessica, and of the dedicated CLC team whose collaboration helped keep this family together.
2026 Sponsored Legislation
CLC has a jam-packed legislative season this year, and we are excited to share all that we’re working on. Our Policy Team is advancing six bills – two carried over from last year – in collaboration with dedicated authors and co-sponsors. Together, these efforts focus on strengthening protections and improving outcomes for children and youth in foster care.
From safeguarding foster youth benefits and expanding access to critical disability services, to increasing transparency in cases of abuse and removing barriers to placing children with relatives and trusted caregivers, this legislative package is rooted in stability, connection, and equity. These bills also ensure young people have access to vital family information as they transition into adulthood – supporting long-term well-being and opportunity.
Here is a list of the bills we are working on this season.
While this is an ambitious year, we’re off to a strong start and feeling optimistic about what’s ahead. We’re excited to share that AB 1688 has successfully passed out of the Assembly Human Services Committee with unanimous support and will next be heard in the Assembly Public Safety Committee.
We are incredibly grateful to our co-sponsors and bill authors for their continued partnership and commitment to advancing meaningful change for our clients.
For more information on CLC’s legislative package, including how to submit letters of support, please visit our website. Stay tuned for updates as we continue advocating for policies that protect, uplift, and empower children in care.
Donor Spotlight: Doris Duke Foundation
We would like to take this opportunity to give a very special thank you to the Doris Duke Foundation – a first-time supporter of CLC whose investment will have a profound impact. The Foundation’s support will further the in-process comprehensive evaluation of the Family Support & Advocacy Center (FSAC) – CLC’s landmark program providing critical prevention services to parents in Los Angeles County who were once in foster care themselves and are now at risk of separation from their own young children. At FSAC’s launch, evaluation firm Action Research began a 3-year assessment of our implementation process and impact of services on clients. Once completed, this information will go a long way toward illustrating the efficacy of upstream, hands-on prevention work – providing a roadmap for other organizations and jurisdictions.
We are deeply grateful to the Doris Duke Foundation for supporting our efforts to break the intergenerational cycle of foster care, and to help spread the word about what a difference this type of work can make.
Staff Spotlight: Kat Daffin
CLC’s fellow is making a difference! Katherine Daffin is currently implementing a fellowship at CLC focused on meeting the most pressing needs of our transition-age youth clients, with an emphasis on housing. This month Kat was recognized by the TAY Civil Legal Practice Exchange as Member of the Month for their amazing work.
Kat is a recent graduate of The University of Texas at Austin School of Law. They are a part of the Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team at CLC. Previously, Kat was a Summer Legal Intern with Inner City Law Center’s Tenant Defense Project and a Law Clerk at Youth Law Center.
We are so grateful to have Kat on our team. Thank you for all of your hard work!
Interested in becoming a fellow? CLC welcomes fellowship applicants seeking to advance innovative projects that support children and youth in foster care. Through programs like the Skadden Fellowship Foundation and Equal Justice Works, fellows collaborate with CLC’s multidisciplinary teams on initiatives in areas such as mental health, immigration, education, and juvenile justice