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Watch My Baby Grow: Online Tool to Support Caregivers and Parenting Youth in Foster Care
The Alliance is proud to introduce Watch My Baby Grow, an online tool developed to aid caregivers and young parents in tracking their baby’s milestones
Watch My Baby Grow: Online Tool to Support Caregivers and Parenting Youth in Foster Care
The Alliance is proud to introduce Watch My Baby Grow, an online tool developed to aid caregivers and young parents in tracking their baby’s milestones
Assemblywoman Celeste Rodriguez’s Legislation Heads to the Governor
Assemblywoman Celeste Rodriguez’s Legislation to Support Families Facing Immigration Raids and the Threat of Family Separation Heads to the Governor “We are one step closer to helping families facing separation. AB 495 is focused on keeping families together,” said Assemblywoman Rodriguez. “It strengthens parents’ ability to make decisions, empowers them to prepare, and ensures kids are cared for by loved ones. I am honored to stand with immigrant families, child advocates, and parent groups across California to strengthen legal tools for families to create formal safety plans and caregiving arrangements, including joint guardianship through the courts.” Read More Learn More
A Mother’s Fight for Her Son’s Education
When Jarrett first came to live with Athena’s family as a young child, she quickly noticed he struggled with focus, learning, and communication. At first, she thought it might be a language barrier. But as school began, the challenges became clearer. “I noticed the more extreme part of it was when he started kindergarten,” Athena recalls. “He couldn’t focus. His writing was not where it should have been. His reading—it’s like he wasn’t understanding phonics. And I didn’t want him to be behind.” For years, Athena asked the district for evaluations and support. Instead, she encountered delays, denials, and incomplete
AB 495 (C. Rodriguez) – The Family Preparedness Plan Act Statement of Support
The Alliance for Children’s Rights’ Guardianship Program helps eliminate barriers and provides free legal services to caregivers seeking legal guardianship in Probate Court. Every day we see how family separation disrupts children’s lives, causing emotional trauma, instability, and barriers to the child’s education, healthcare, and long-term well-being. Without greater clarity and enforceability of existing legal options, many parents are forced to make impossible choices. Some make the difficult choice to suspend their parental rights through the complicated probate guardianship process, others opt to use a Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavit for a more informal arrangement allowing the caregiver to enroll the child
Strengths Building Funding Survey Report
The Alliance for Children’s Rights conducted a survey to gather input on a proposed foster care rate structure change in California. The survey focused on the “Strengths Building” component, aiming to identify activities and services that support the well-being of foster youth. View Survey Report
Addressing Racial Inequities in Child Welfare – Policy Summit & Report Launch
Last week on October 17th, the Alliance hosted a powerful policy summit focused on reforming support for youth in and transitioning out of the child welfare system. Bringing together young people with lived experience, parents, caregivers, advocates, and experts, the summit addressed racial disparities and systemic inequities impacting youth aged 16-24. Attendees collaborated on policy recommendations aimed at fostering a system that empowers young people to achieve their goals. The event also marked the release of our draft report, Supporting Their Journey: The Path to Racial Equity in Child Welfare for Transition Age Youth, which outlines challenges in the current
Key Victories: Our Sponsored Bills Pass the Finish Line
AB 2830 Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2830 (R. Rivas, AD 29), sponsored by the Alliance for Children’s Rights, which creates a simplified Resource Family Approval (RFA) process for relatives to ensure more foster children are cared for and supported by their families and stay connected to their communities. Assembly Bill 2830 will require the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) to establish “relative” or “kin-specific” licensing or approval standards by January 1, 2027. Once implemented, the department will track data related to outcomes regarding its effectiveness and report all findings or data to the Legislature. “As a foster parent, I understand that children in
The George Zajfen Tournament – Tennis For Tots Raises $176,000
Image credit: Vanessa Preziose for the Alliance for Children’s Rights FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THE GEORGE ZAJFEN TOURNAMENT – TENNIS FOR TOTS RAISES $176,000 FOR THE ALLIANCE FOR CHILDREN’S RIGHTS LOS ANGELES, September 14, 2024 – This past Saturday, The George Zajfen Tournament – Tennis for Tots, raised an astounding $176,000 to support the Alliance for Children’s Rights. The event is hosted by Kelly, Julian, and Lily Zajfen in honor of George Oliver Zajfen, this beloved tradition has once again brought together community members, celebrities, and supporters to raise awareness for the critical work being done to protect the rights of
Comprehensive Education Toolkit for Youth Who Are Systems Involved
This toolkit is a compilation of all our previous resources designed to empower school districts, child welfare agencies, probation departments, court personnel, and caregivers to better support the educational needs of youth impacted by the foster care and probation systems. What’s new? Combines all prior toolkits: This comprehensive resource integrates the Foster Youth Education Toolkit, Court Companion to the Foster Youth Education Toolkit, and Best Practices Guide: For Developing a District System to Improve Education Outcomes for Youth in Foster Care. Up-to-date information: The toolkit reflects the latest laws and best practices to ensure you have the most accurate information
We’ve Moved!
We look forward to welcoming you soon to our new Alliance office at: 4525 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 150 Los Angeles, CA 90010 We are thrilled to announce that we have moved to a new space! As our Alliance continues to grow, we transition to this new office with a renewed vision to create more welcoming and inclusive spaces for our team, our clients, and our partners. We know that our work is stronger when it’s done together, in community. That is why in the dreaming and planning of this new office, we designed to make possible more gatherings, more workshop