Children's Law Center of California

08/14/2026

CLC was in Portland!

Members of the CLC team are attended
National Association of Counsel for Children’s 49th National Child Welfare Law Conference, joining child welfare professionals from across the country to learn, connect, and share ideas that strengthen advocacy for children, youth, and families.

This year’s theme is “Solutions That Sustain: Cultivating Community, Advancing Practice,” emphasizing the importance of collaboration, continued learning, and building practices that create lasting impact.

We’re proud to have CLC staff representing! We know they will bring their expertise to the national conversation - and bring home new ideas and inspiration to best serve the children and youth we represent. 💙

08/14/2026

Great news! Five of CLC's six sponsored bills have passed out of Appropriations and are moving forward!

AB 1099, AB 1688, AB 1846, and AB 2478 passed the Senate Appropriations Committee and will now advance to the full Senate for a vote.

SB 534 passed the Assembly Appropriations Committee and will now advance to the full Assembly for a vote.

We are deeply grateful to the authors and co-sponsors of these important bills for their leadership and commitment to improving outcomes for California’s children, youth, and families.

To learn more about these bills visit our website at www.clccal.org.

08/03/2026

Be the difference for immigrant youth. ✨ Learn how to recognize, support, and advocate for Special Immigrant Juveniles (SIJS) at our free webinar on August 20. Register today: bit.ly/4xbCDXj

07/28/2026

CLC was honored to be recognized along with Judge Annabelle G. Cortez, Los Angeles Dependency Lawyers, the County Counsel Dependency Division, and the Department of Children and Family Services on the 10th anniversary of DREAM Court.

Created in 2016, DREAM Court brings together legal professionals, advocates, and service providers who use trauma-informed and harm-reduction approaches to support young people who have experienced commercial s*xual exploitation.

We are deeply grateful to Supervisor Hilda Solis for arranging this special recognition and for honoring the dedicated partners who have worked together to support and empower young people.

06/19/2026

🖤❤️💚 Happy Juneteenth! 💚❤️🖤

Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and honors the day - June 19, 1865 - when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, finally learned they were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Today is a time to reflect, celebrate freedom, and continue learning. 💚❤️🖤

05/23/2026

AB 1688 is officially headed to the California Senate after advancing on May 22! This important bill helps strengthen transparency and communication when concerns arise in foster placements - an important step toward protecting children and supporting families.

Thank you to Assemblymembers Juan Carrillo, Mike Gipson and all of the advocates working to create safer, stronger systems for children and youth across California.

05/21/2026

Last fall, the New York Times magazine published a story about the commercial s*xual exploitation of children on Figueroa Street in South Los Angeles. Accompanying the story were a number of photos depicting girls wearing minimal clothing, some handcuffed. In addition, several of the images or descriptions included details that made them identifiable.

We know firsthand that protecting the anonymity and dignity of children and youth is critical - this is especially important for those who have experienced trafficking or exploitation.

Children cannot provide informed consent in the same way adults can, and public exposure can create real safety risks now, including being recognized by traffickers or retraumatized by media attention.

Every child deserves advocates who protect not only their voices, but also their safety, healing, and future.

“If the goal is to truly be thoughtful about how to write about these issues without harming some of the most vulnerable people in our society, then we have different outcomes. It depends on what the goal is.” - Leslie Starr Heimove, Executive Director CLC

Thank you to Nina Alvarez and the Colombia Journalism Review for taking the time to speak with the advocates on the ground, doing the work with this population and for creating this opportunity create thoughtful discussion. Columbia Journalism Review
Read the full article below.

Looking back at a New York Times magazine story to examine what responsible coverage of s*x trafficking looks like—and what it doesn’t.

05/10/2026

Happy Mother's Day to the mothers, caregivers, and foster parents who show up every day for children and youth navigating foster care. It takes a village.

💜Honor the mothers doing the hard work to reunify with their children.

💜Honor the relative caregivers who step in during moments of crisis.

💜Honor the foster mothers who open their homes and hearts, giving love, stability, and comfort until families can heal.

💜Honor the young mothers in foster care who are fighting to create safe and stable homes for their children.

Join the Village: https://bit.ly/3KMurub

05/08/2026

There is still time to give this Big Day of Giving 💜

Today, honor the mothers trying their best to do the work, the caregivers who step in during moments of crisis, and the foster mothers who provide love, comfort, and stability until families can heal and reunify.

Your support for Children’s Law Center of California helps uplift children and youth navigating foster care and the adults who show up for them every single day.

Every donation sends a powerful message: our community cares, and no child should face this journey alone.

Happy Mother's Day!

https://www.bigdayofgiving.org/organization/Clc

Please make your gift today.

05/08/2026

As Big Day of Giving comes to a close, there’s still time to support the children and youth CLC serves - and the dedicated advocates who stand beside them every day. 💜

Today, our community has come together to uplift young people who deserve safety, stability, dignity, and hope. We are deeply grateful for every donor who has already stepped forward to support our mission.

Meet Ann Quirk, a Northern California policy attorney at CLC who works tirelessly to improve outcomes for children and families impacted by the foster care system. Before joining CLC’s policy team, Ann was a deeply dedicated case-carrying attorney trusted by her clients.

Recently, Ann shared this powerful reminder with The Imprint in regard to children in foster care who struggle with attendance:

“At the beginning, your whole life just exploded. The idea that you’re going to be able to concentrate on history class is doubtful when you’re wondering, ‘What happened to my dog?’”

Your Big Day of Giving support helps ensure children in foster care have advocates like Ann fighting for them when they need support most.

No gift is too small. Every donation helps create brighter futures and reminds a child that their community believes in them.

https://www.bigdayofgiving.org/give/Clc