California Alliance of Child and Family Services

08/29/2026

We are excited to announce that both candidates for California Insurance Commissioner will be joining us at Stronger Together 2026.

On Wednesday, September 2, consumer advocate and attorney Jane Kim and State Senator Ben Allen will sit down together for a fireside chat with our membership at the Anaheim Marriott. This is a great opportunity to hear from both candidates in the same setting on one of the most pressing issues facing child and family services organizations across California right now.

Liability coverage is increasingly hard to find. Premiums are skyrocketing, and the decisions made by the next Insurance Commissioner will shape the environment for nonprofit child and family services organizations for years to come. This conversation belongs at Stronger Together 2026, and we are glad it is happening there.

If you are already registered, mark your agenda for Wednesday at 12:15 PM. If you are not yet registered, it is not too late. This session is one more reason to be in Anaheim next week. https://web.cvent.com/event/72a12e0b-7996-4626-8764-cef9024f2c3a/websitePage:74e87f82-6fde-4189-8ea8-544140eba0a2

08/29/2026

CA Alliance member Two Feathers Native American Family Services is co-hosting the 6th Annual Native Youth School and Community Wellness Conference with Stanford Medicine's Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing.

This free virtual event (September 22 hybrid, September 23 and 24 virtual) brings together tribal leaders, mental health professionals, educators, and youth to focus on supporting Native and young men of color through culturally grounded dialogue and evidence-informed practices. Sessions cover mentorship, trauma-informed education, and youth voice, with speakers including Dr. Pedro Noguera, Judge Katherine Lucero (ret.), and Maestro Jerry Tello.

Registration is open n. Full agenda and registration details are available through Two Feathers.

More oinfo & registration -

6th Annual Native Youth School and Community Wellness Conference The Native American Youth Mental Health Conference brings together leaders, educators, mental health practitioners, researchers, Native American youth, elders, and community partners in fields related to Native American Youth mental he...

08/29/2026

On September 18, CA Alliance Sr. VP of Public Policy & Strategy Adrienne Shilton present at the 988 Conference, Beyond Su***de Prevention: Moving Towards Livability.

Alongside foster youth advocate Eve Valdez, she will co-lead the session "Using Policy and Advocacy to Create More Livable Communities," examining how California's behavioral health reforms, including 988, the Behavioral Health Services Act, and High-Fidelity Wraparound, can help the state move past siloed funding toward systems shaped by what children, youth, and families truly need. Youth voices, including those of foster youth, will be central to the discussion, along with practical strategies for weaving su***de prevention into the everyday spaces where young people live, work, learn, and connect.

Join virtually from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM Pacific on September 18. Register here.

08/29/2026

Our President and CEO, Pete Weldy, recently joined Meghan Fouad on her podcast, Meghan's Place: Conversations on Healing, for a wide-ranging conversation about the connection between healing and the systems that shape our lives.

Pete shared what inspired his commitment to children, youth, and families, and the two discussed how public systems and policy decisions influence family well-being, where the gaps often show up between policy and lived experience, and what people misunderstand about the challenges families face.

If you work with families, care about child and family well-being, or want to see stronger, more supportive communities, this conversation is worth your time. Give it a listen and let us know what stands out to you.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=gy8Ek33s2z80bBSM&utm&v=XNrU_bRIoJU&feature=youtu.be
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6FShHH6EEWy7UZVwwseuy7?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-11/id1881677097?i=1000771724991

Podcast Episode · Meghan's Place: Conversations on Healing · June 8 · 22m

08/27/2026

We’re celebrating a major step forward for foster youth! AB 2764 (Ahrens) passed unanimously through the Senate yesterday, bringing us one step closer to the Governor’s desk. This bill would create uniform eligibility standards for Extended Foster Care programs statewide, so young people face fewer barriers to accessing housing and support! Thank you to Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens for authoring this bill and a special thank you to Senator Caroline Menjivar for presenting AB 2764 on the Senate floor and for being such a strong champion for foster youth!

Just one more step toward the Governor’s desk! Let’s keep the momentum going!

John Burton Advocates for Youth
California Youth Connection (C*C)

Watch Here:

Digital Democracy overview of Senate Floor August 26, 2026 hearing.

08/26/2026

Stronger Together 2026 is less than a week away, and before we head to Anaheim, we want to take a moment to thank the sponsors who make this conference possible.

The work of California's child and family services field does not happen without investment. Not just the financial kind, but the kind that says we believe in this community, in the organizations doing this work, and in the children and families they serve every day. Our sponsors illustrate that belief in an important way, and we owe them a debt of appreciation.

Without their support, there is no conference. There are no sessions, no keynotes, no room full of 800 professionals from across California coming together to learn, to connect, and to take something home that makes their work stronger. The sponsors who make Stronger Together possible are partners in our shared mission, and we are grateful.

We will see you in Anaheim.

08/25/2026

An important piece from Capitol Weekly this morning on the insurance crisis threatening California's foster family agencies and why the clock is running out.

Since the Nonprofit Insurance Alliance dropped coverage for FFAs in 2024, 29 agencies across 13 counties have been forced to close their doors. Those closures affected 439 foster homes and displaced children who depended on the support that FFAs provide.

Our own Adrienne Shilton, VP of Public Policy and Strategy, put it plainly in the piece: "We're going to lose these agencies. I don't know how much more clearly we can say that. More agencies are going to close."

The $31.5 million in bridge funding secured in 2025 helped slow the bleeding, but it was never a permanent fix, and the $5.5 million that remains won't be enough to stop the wave of closures still coming. When FFAs close, children are ported to other agencies. But that only works until there's nowhere left to port them. At that point, kids get shifted to county-run placements that often can't offer the same level of support.

This is a solvable problem. It requires the state to act with urgency, not push the decision to the next administration. We'll keep pushing for a lasting solution, because California's foster children deserve stability.

Read the full story here:

Left in limbo by the Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom, California’s private foster agencies say they’re struggling to stay afloat until the new year, when they hope a new governor will help them navigate an ongoing insurance crisis that threatens their existence.

08/25/2026

Stronger Together 2026 is a week away, and before we head to Anaheim, we want to take a moment to thank the sponsors who make this conference possible.

The work of California's child and family services field does not happen without investment. Not just the financial kind, but the kind that says we believe in this community, in the organizations doing this work, and in the children and families they serve every day. Our sponsors demonstrate that belief in a meaningful way, and we do not take that for granted.

Without their support, there is no conference. There are no sessions, no keynotes, no room full of 800 professionals from across California coming together to learn, to connect, and to carry something home that makes their work stronger. The sponsors who make Stronger Together possible are partners in that mission, and we are deeply grateful.

We will see you in Anaheim.

08/24/2026

Marsha P. Johnson believed the most marginalized deserve the most support. That principle
shapes the work our members do for LGBTQ+ youth in foster care and residential settings
every day. Happy birthday, Marsha.