It’s the final push for our Art of Advocacy Gala! Check out the highlights from the past month, including a spotlight on our employee recognition awards and our experience at the EDGY conference.
See You This Friday!
We are just days away from our annual Art of Advocacy Gala! There is still time to purchase tickets to join us on November 4. We are excited to share great conversation, a live music performance from the local queer quartet L.A. Exes, an opportunity to both enjoy and create your own art, and of course – amazing live auction items. We are thrilled to be honoring two champions for families: Assembly Member Mike Gipson and writer and podcaster Doree Shafrir.
CLC has so much to celebrate this year, and we can’t wait to sip and mingle with all of you while raising vital funds for children and youth in foster care. It’s not too late to purchase your tickets (and raffle tickets if you can’t be there!).
We look forward to raising a glass to a better tomorrow for us all, especially for our young clients.
Wishing you and yours a happy and safe Halloween!
EDGY Conference
CLC was excited to join Penny Lane Centers for their annual EDGY (Embracing the Diversity of GLBTQ Youth and families) Conference. This one-day conference aims to build awareness and cultural competency, teach current and emerging best practices, and share resources from leading experts and organizations to create a more supportive environment for LGBTQ+ youth and families. CLC Mental Health Attorney, Blakely Hamilton, and TAY Coordinator, Erika Murillo, presented on CLC’s work with LGBTQ+ youth and shared ways participants can help LGBTQ+ youth navigate the Dependency system and ensure their needs are being met. Lastly, we enjoyed the opportunity to table with community partners around Los Angeles and connect with teachers, social workers, and community members.
Employee Recognition & Years of Service Awards
At CLC, we are so fortunate to have the best and most dedicated staff on the planet! We prioritize an inclusive culture that celebrates diversity and encourages employees to bring their unique, whole selves to work. We host a special employee recognition event each year to celebrate our fantastic staff and honor those who have reached career milestones. Congratulations to all who were recognized and a special congratulations to Carmella Echaveste, Leslie Heimov, and Patricia Salcido for 30 years of service, Tina Centrone, Debbie Flood, and Robin White for 25 years of service, and Desire Jaimez and Yazmin Pfeffer for 20 years of service! Thank you for your commitment to children and families!
Policy Roundup
CLC is excited to share that three of our sponsored bills were signed into law this October. We thank our amazing co-sponsors and our bill authors – Assemblymember McCarthy, Assemblymember Bryan, and Assemblymember Holden – for championing the needs of children and youth in the foster care system. We are proud of these bills and look forward to seeing the changes they will bring about in our clients’ lives.
AB 740 (McCarthy) Foster Youth Suspension and Expulsion
Students in foster care are suspended at disproportionately high rates. Statewide, the suspension rate for foster children is more than four times the suspension rate for their non-foster peers. Breaking this data down by race, gender, and ethnicity reveals even more alarming inequities. For example, black male students are suspended at six times the statewide average rate.
By requiring a foster child’s state-appointed attorney to be notified of suspensions, expulsions, or involuntary school transfers in the same fashion as parents are notified, AB 740 will ensure that all foster children have someone to advocate on their behalf in school discipline proceedings.
AB 1735 (Bryan) Eliminating Language Barriers for Youth in Foster Care
AB 1735 requires that essential court documents be translated into a youth’s primary language and that they also be provided with a copy of their rights in their primary language.
The bill empowers foster youth whose primary language is not English to take agency in the decisions that impact their lives and utilize the resources and services available to help them succeed.
AB 2085 (Holden) Addressing Racial Disparities through Mandated Reporting Reform
Mandated reporting laws in California play a central role in the over-surveillance and overrepresentation of families of color in the child welfare system. As a result, children of color are significantly more likely to be reported for allegations of abuse and neglect, despite the vast majority of those allegations being unfounded.
To address racial disparities and ensure families are not unnecessarily brought to the attention of the child welfare system, AB 2085 clarifies that a parent’s economic status should not trigger a “general neglect” report. It reaffirms that issues related to poverty (not including child safety concerns) are more appropriately addressed outside the child welfare system so that they won’t further traumatize families.
This would allow mandated reporters, who are often experts in working with children and families, to utilize their professional judgment on how to best support a family instead of feeling forced to report when another intervention is more appropriate.
Uplift with a Gift!
Spooky season is almost over and the winter holidays are right around the corner! We are kicking of our gift drive, Uplift with a Gift! With your support, we can make the season a whole lot brighter for the children we serve. There are many ways to spread cheer!
Love to shop? Sign up here to be matched with a specific child or family.
You can also shop our wishlist here.
Not a shopper? We still need your help! Make a monetary donation to the program here and one of our staff members will do the shopping for you.
Questions? Reach out to Pat Salcido, salcidop@clccal.org.
Legal Dependency Newsletter
Review the most recent legal developments in dependency case law with our October Legal Newsletter. Our talented in-house Writ Team provides an in-depth analysis on case law related to child welfare. Read the latest issue on our website.
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