Help Us Spread Joy This Season!
The holidays are officially here!
While many of us are busy searching for the perfect holiday gifts for the kids in our lives, some children in foster care will go without. Eighteen years ago, after watching countless clients celebrate the holidays without warm clothing or gifts to unwrap, CLC’s holiday gift giving program was born.
The Uplift with a Gift program allows our community of families, businesses, and individuals to sponsor children and families by providing warm clothing, gifts, and other necessities for the holidays. The program serves children and families in both Los Angeles and Sacramento and we hope you will join us in making the season brighter for our deserving clients.
Whether you light up a Kinara, a Menorah, or a Christmas tree, we all have the ability to bring holiday joy to children in need. The deadline to donate is December 14. Ask how you can help and be a holiday hero this year!
The Spirit of Giving
Last year, CLC was able to make hundreds of clients smile thanks to generous people just like you! This year, we hope to do the same. As costs rise, we’ve noticed an even greater need for help for our clients and their families. Your generosity will support our clients, including the ones below.
Staff Spotlight: We Love Lucy!
We’re so fortunate to have dedicated staff members like Attorney Supervisor Lucy Chairez, who is celebrating 20 years of service at CLC! Her CLCLA5 team recognized her work milestone by wearing purple personalized “We Love Lucy” shirts.
For 16 years, Lucy was a passionate and fierce trial attorney in various courtrooms. In 2019, Lucy transitioned from a part-time case-carrying attorney to a full-time attorney supervisor, helping create CLCLA5.
Coming from a low-income immigrant family, Lucy knew first-hand the many problems that faced this community and she wanted to be part of the solution in alleviating some of these hardships.
“One of my fondest memories early on in my career is that of a young Latina girl whose face lit up when she realized that I was her attorney and that I spoke Spanish,” Lucy remembered.
“At that moment I realized how much representation matters and the great responsibility and privilege that I, and everyone involved in our judicial system, have to ensure that all voices are valued and heard as we make life-altering decisions on their behalf.”
CLC5LA Firm Director Jennifer McCartney McCartney said Lucy has dedicated her career to helping families. “Lucy is a passionate advocate who realizes that families are not perfect; they are flawed, they are human and worth fighting for, and so she fights for families.”
Thank you Lucy for all you do for our clients and their families!
Gratitude Corner
We are humbled and grateful to share that CLC has recently been awarded funding from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation in support of our Pre-Filing Intervention (PFI) program.
PFI provides intensive advocacy and case management to expectant and parenting foster youth who are at risk of losing their own child to the child welfare system—something that becomes much more common when the parent has themself experienced foster care. Thanks to the generosity of the Hilton Foundation, PFI will soon be adding an additional Attorney and Parent Support Case Manager to advocate for our clients with needs ranging from their interactions with DCFS as well as in managing their own health and capability as a young parent. This support is critical in our effort to prevent foster youth from experiencing further family separation and breaking the intergenerational cycle of foster care.
Board Spotlight: Terrie L. Robinson
“Be mindful that the world that you want to live in and that you need to live in needs you to create it; it needs your input. The world needs to hear what you have to say. The last word has not been spoken.”
-Beah E. Richards, American Actress
CLC is grateful to have a committed Board of Directors who help ensure best practices in our advocacy and further our important mission. We are thrilled to have Terrie Robinson join our board and represent our Northern California Region.
Terrie L. Robinson is an attorney and fifth generation Californian born and raised in Sacramento. She has her own law practice, The Law Office of Terrie L. Robinson, LLP, which focuses on representing California Native American Tribes in protecting their cultural resources. She has taught at several law schools, worked for law firms big and small and for PG&E, and spent sixteen years as an attorney for the State of California.
Terrie joined the CLC Board to support the mission of CLC to improve outcomes for children in dependency. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, writing, and listening to music. We are so grateful to have Terrie as part of our dedicated Board of Directors.
We’re Hiring: Join the CLC Team!
Join CLC and become part of a dedicated team of advocates representing children and families impacted by the child welfare system. CLC is the largest children’s legal services organization in the nation, currently serving over 25,000 children and youth in the Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Placer County child welfare systems. Below are a few open positions. For a complete list, click here.
Youth Engagement Coordinator
CLC is hiring a Youth Engagement Coordinator with lived experience to help build and oversee a new Youth Advisory Council comprised of individuals with lived experience in child welfare. CLC understands how important it is for the voices of our current and former clients to inform and shape our work. The Council will inform and guide many aspects of CLC’s work and will guide a new process to gather feedback from both current clients in foster care as well as community members with lived experience.
Staff Accountant
CLC is looking to hire a dedicated Staff Accountant to join our growing Finance team. The Staff Accountant will be responsible for the recording of daily transactions including cash transactions and accounts payable transactions to ensure all transactions are complete, accurate and recorded in a timely manner. The person hired will have excellent customer service skills, a great team player, and ability to work in a fast paced environment.
Staff Attorney
CLC seeks passionate attorneys for our Monterey Park and Lancaster offices. CLC attorneys work closely with supervisors, social work investigators, various subject matter experts, peer advocates, support staff, and other CLC attorneys. Attorneys provide client-directed advocacy and legal advice to children, age 0-21, alleged to be victims of abuse and neglect.