Alliance For Children's Rights

System-wide reformthe Alliance works at the state and local levels to develop and implement policies and practices that improve the lives and well-being of children and young adults in our child welfare systems. Through its work with a high volume of individual clients, as well as through collaboration with legal services programs and support centers across the state, the Alliance is able to recognize trends, identify systemic issues and pursue reform through litigation, legislative, or administrative advocacy in order to improve outcomes and promote the well-being of children and families. The Alliance also conducts training and support for child welfare, legal, educational, medical, and social service providers on the needs and Rights of our communities' children and young adults, available resources to assist them, and best practices to promote their wellbeing.

Opportunity youth collaborativethe los angeles opportunity youth collaborative (la oyc), led by the Alliance, is a collective effort to improve education and employment opportunities for transition age foster youth from ages 14 through 24. Too often, efforts to support young people's transition from foster care to independence fall short, due to service gaps and lack of coordination among public and private organizations. To overcome those gaps, the la oyc brings together public and private agencies, community-based organizations, foundations, educational institutions, and employers to address the barriers that impede foster youth and create pathways for them to achieve success in school and at work. By aligning services, sharing information, identifying best practices, incorporating the voices of foster youth in solutions that affect them, and building the capacity of agencies with training and support, the la oyc is building partnerships to help foster youth succeed in their education and careers.

Educationmore than half of all children in foster care have learning disabilities or developmental delays. This, combined with frequent moves and school changes, results in a 50% school drop-out rate. The Alliance levels the playing field for these children by advocating for them to receive assessments, education services, and therapies tailored to meet their special needs. Evidence shows that reaching children at a young age will improve their healthy development and reduce the need for special education and mental health services later. In response, the Alliance created the saltz family early intervention center which increases access to treatments and services for hundreds of children ages 0 - 5 every year. The Alliance also works to keep youth succeeding in school and on track for high school graduation, by training educators who work with students recovering from trauma, and by ensuring they are receiving appropriate credits, tutoring, transportation, and other services to support their education, even when they must change schools.

Transition-age youth (tay) servicesevery year, hundreds of young people "age out" of the foster care system in los angeles without a permanent family, adequate assistance, or preparation. The Alliance provides targeted support to those youth ages 16 through 24, empowering them with legal advocacy, connection to resources, skill building workshops, and mentoring to overcome barriers to employment, education, housing, and healthcare. The Alliance assists youth who have experienced identity thefts and financial frauds, and advocates for high-needs foster youth, including expectant and parenting youth and youth who cross into the delinquency system. for youth with disabilities, the Alliance secures ssi benefits to pay for housing and medical care to help them avoid homelessness. Together with pro bono attorneys, community volunteers and mentors, the Alliance is improving outcomes for these youth.

Public benefits and servicescaregivers, particularly relatives, who step up to provide for children in foster care often have limited resources and can become overwhelmed with their new responsibilities, putting the Children's essential stability at risk. The Alliance obtains appropriate funding and services for these children so that caregivers can provide them with basic necessities and access critical services, such as specialized medical equipment and therapies, counseling, childcare, educational services, and respite care. Securing these resources can often mean the difference between permanent, safe homes and struggling, unstable ones.

Healthcarea child's illness can be emotionally and financially devastating for any family and, for families already living in poverty, the challenges are even greater. The Alliance helps children facing medical eligibility problems, treatment denials and inadequate access to physicians, dentists, and mental health services. The Alliance also protects the Rights of expecting and parenting teens in foster care to healthcare, and to sexual and reproductive health education, so that they have the resources and support they need to be good parents and break the inter generational cycle of children being removed from young parents in foster care.

Adoptionchildren in foster care have a tremendous need for a stable home. Completing adoptions creates permanent, nurturing homes for these children. Working with the adoptive families to identify the Children's legal, health, educational, and financial needs, the Alliance also overcomes barriers to these children receiving the therapies and benefits they need. With the help of pro bono attorneys, the Alliance completes approximately one-third of all adoptions out of foster care in los angeles county, and also obtains the services necessary to stabilize the new families. With its adoption day program as a model, the Alliance co-created national adoption day, which now is celebrated in every state in the country.

Guardianshipadoption is not the only means through which children who cannot remain with their parents find stable, loving caregivers. The Alliance assists relatives and family friends to become legal guardians through the probate court, providing children with the stability of a family and with guardians who are authorized to provide for their medical care, education, and wellbeing. The Alliance and its pro bono attorneys help hundreds of low-income caregivers become legal guardians and gain access to services and support each year.