California Alliance of Child and Family Services

06/16/2026

AB 2764 (Patrick Ahrens) has passed through the Senate Human Services Committee! The CA Alliance is proud to co-sponsor this legislation!

This moves us one step closer to strengthening critical supports for young people transitioning from foster care to adulthood. By aligning eligibility criteria for extended foster care services, AB 2764 recognizes the value of transitional housing programs so that young adults can receive the stability, guidance, and resources as they pursue independence.

Yesterday, we were proud of the expert witnesses in support of the bill with a special thank you to the incredible youth advocate who shared their lived experience with committee members helping to push this bill forward.

We are grateful to the members of the Senate Human Services Committee for advancing this important legislation and look forward to continuing the work ahead.

Thank you to Asm Patrick Ahrems for championing this bill and thank you to our co-sponsors, John Burton Advocates for Youth and California Youth Connection (C*C), for their partnership on this effort.

06/16/2026

How you use Stronger Together 2026 depends on who you are and what you need.

For the first time, all 80 sessions are organized into five learning tracks, each built around a specific role and set of goals. Business Operations. Executive Leadership. Clinical and Behavioral Health. Equity, Culture, and Community. Policy and Advocacy.

The idea is simple. With 80 sessions on the program, we wanted every attendee to be able to find their content quickly, build a schedule that makes sense for their role, and get the most out of the conference.

August 31 - September 3, Anaheim Marriott.

Register now. https://web.cvent.com/event/72a12e0b-7996-4626-8764-cef9024f2c3a/websitePage:74e87f82-6fde-4189-8ea8-544140eba0a2

06/15/2026

June is Pride Month. LGBTQ+ youth are overrepresented in the foster care system, and they deserve affirming, supportive care. Our members are committed to creating environments where every young person feels safe and valued.

06/15/2026

See you in Anaheim. Register now for Stronger Together 2026.
https://web.cvent.com/event/72a12e0b-7996-4626-8764-cef9024f2c3a/websitePage:74e87f82-6fde-4189-8ea8-544140eba0a2

06/14/2026

Mark your calendars for June 30! Unicorn Solutions is hosting the Visible and Unstoppable Pride Zoomathon, a four-hour virtual event standing in solidarity with LGBTQIA2S+ youth and families, and the CA Alliance is proud to be part of it. Our Senior Vice President of Public Policy, Adrienne Shilton, will join the lineup as a featured speaker.

Unicorn Solutions is joined by national partners including Lambda Legal , the National Center for Youth Law , Family Builders by Adoption , the Center for the Study of Social Policy , and the National SOGIE Center, all standing together in visible, unstoppable support of LGBTQIA2S+ youth and families.

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_t9JfYQpySEOtR4NllepH-A #/registration

06/14/2026

Congratulations to Eve Valdez on winning the Youth Champion award at the Partnerships for Well-Being Institute. A former foster youth turned policy leader, mentor, and advocate, Eve ensures young people have a real voice in the decisions that shape their lives.

We were honored to nominate her. California's children and families are lucky to have her in their corner.

06/13/2026

If you work in California's child and family services field, this conference was built for you.

80 sessions. Five tracks. CE credits across 8 licensure types. And a community of 800+ professionals from all 58 California counties who show up every year because being in that room with their peers makes them better at this work.

The 2026 California Child and Family Services Conference is August 31 through September 3 at the Anaheim Marriott. This is the strongest program we have ever put together.

https://web.cvent.com/event/72a12e0b-7996-4626-8764-cef9024f2c3a/websitePage:74e87f82-6fde-4189-8ea8-544140eba0a2

06/13/2026

New faces at the CA Alliance! We are excited to introduce Angelica Donaghy, our Director of Finance.

Angelica keeps our financial house in order, overseeing accounting operations, budgets, forecasts, and reporting for both the CA Alliance and the Catalyst Center. She brings more than ten years of nonprofit experience to the role, along with an Executive MBA and a bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting. Her work helps ensure the fiscal strength that keeps our mission moving forward.

When she is not balancing the books, Angelica loves a good book of another kind. Her go-to recommendation is Never Finished by David Goggins, which she describes as pure inspiration for anyone ready to tap into their limitless potential.

Pictured: Angelica with her Executive MBA cohort during a trip to Amsterdam.

Welcome aboard, Angelica! We are so glad you are here.

06/12/2026

Congratulations to Manuel Lua of Victor , winner of the Collaboration/Integration Award at the Partnerships for Well-Being Institute!

We were proud to nominate Manuel for this honor. His work, and the work Victor does every day across California, shows what is possible when systems truly work together on behalf of our most vulnerable children and families.

Honored to call Victor a member agency. Even more honored to see this recognition.

06/12/2026

We need your vote! Breakout session voting is open for the 10th Annual Wellness Together Conference (WTC10), and our apprenticeship team has submitted a session we know will bring real value to educators, administrators, mental health professionals, and school leaders.

Our session focuses on expanding the behavioral health workforce through Registered Apprenticeship, an earn-and-learn model that opens doors for people with lived experience and for those on nontraditional educational pathways. Stronger workforce pipelines mean more support for the children, youth, and families who need it most.

Take a moment to watch our video, andlike it to cast your vote to help shape this year's conversation in San Diego.

WTC10 Breakout Proposal: California Behavioral Health Apprenticeshi...