Sacramento Advocates Gala Tickets Are Now on Sale – Join Us for an Unforgettable Evening!
We’re excited to share that tickets are officially on sale for this year’s Advocates Gala, happening on May 21, 2025 in Sacramento! We hope you’ll join us for a powerful and inspiring evening as we come together to uplift the voices of children and youth in foster care across Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Placer County.
This special night will feature:
- Meaningful stories from our clients and community
- Recognition of champions and community heroes making a difference
- Opportunities to support the critical work of CLC
The Advocates Gala is not only a celebration of our mission—it’s also one of our most important fundraising events of the year. Every dollar raised goes directly toward providing legal advocacy and supportive services for the 18,000+ children and youth we serve.
We’d love to see you there. Purchase your tickets today and stand with us as we fight for brighter futures for all youth in care.
Let’s celebrate, honor, and advocate—together!
Click here to buy your ticket today!
2025 Sponsored Legislation
We’re excited to share the latest news from this legislative season! CLC is proud to be sponsoring and supporting several key bills and budget asks aimed at improving the lives of children and youth in foster care.
Below is a brief summary of our bills. To learn more about our 2025 sponsored legislation, please visit our website or email our policy team at CLCPolicyTeam@clccal.org.
AB 373 (ASM B. RUBIO)
Client-Directed Representation for Nonminor Dependents
Author: Asm. Rubio | Co-Sponsor: California Youth Connection
Clarifies that attorneys representing nonminor dependents (ages 18–20 in Extended Foster Care) must advocate for their client’s expressed wishes.
AB 926 (ASM GIPSON)
Author: Asm. Gipson | Co-Sponsors: Dependency Advocacy Center, Dependency Legal Services, Los Angeles Dependency Lawyers
Creates a presumption of unsupervised visitation unless safety concerns are present and ensures court-ordered visits happen frequently and in natural, family- friendly settings.
AB 1080 (ASM BRYAN)
Author: Asm. Bryan | Co-Sponsors: Alliance for Children’s Rights, Children’s Advocacy Institute, Children’s Legal Services, Youth Law Center
Prohibits counties from using foster youths’ Social Security benefits to pay for their own foster care and requires funds to be used in the youth’s best interest.
AB 1099 (ASM BRYAN)
Author: Asm. Bryan | Co-Sponsors: Disability Rights California, Public Counsel
Streamlines the eligibility process for system-involved youth with developmental disabilities and requires data collection to track and improve access to services.
AB 1192 (ASM CARRILLO)
Author: Asm. Carrillo | Co-Sponsors: Children’s Advocacy Institute, Dependency Legal Services
Ensures parents and attorneys are notified when there’s reasonable suspicion of abuse in placement — either involving their child or another child placed in the same home.
SB 452 (SEN. WEBER PIERSON)
Author: Sen. Weber Pierson
Establishes a $6M, 3-year pilot program to fund early legal support for families at risk of child welfare involvement, helping to prevent unnecessary family separation.
BUDGET REQUEST: DEPENDENCY COUNSEL FUNDING
To ensure children and families receive quality legal representation, we’re requesting:
Allocation of $15M in gap funding to support dependency counsel statewide
A formal review of workload impacts and funding models to bring attorney caseloads down to sustainable levels
While this is an ambitious year, we are off to a great start and hopeful for a year of great outcomes! To get us started off on the right foot, we are happy to share that AB 373 has officially passed out of the Assembly Judiciary Committee and the Assembly Human Services Committee. AB 926 has also passed out of the Assembly Judiciary Committee. We are appreciative of the support of the Legislature and look forward to continued support during these upcoming hearings:
– SB 452 will be heard on 4/7 in the Senate Human Services Committee;
– AB 962 and AB 1192 will be heard on 4/8 in Assembly Human Services Committee
– AB 1080 and AB 1099 will be heard on 4/29 in Assembly Human Services Committee
We’re deeply grateful to our co-sponsors and bill authors for their continued partnership and dedication to creating meaningful change for our clients.
For more information on CLC’s legislation package including how to submit letters of support please visit our website. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to fight for policies that protect, uplift, and empower children in care.
Donor Spotlight: Walter S. Johnson Foundation
The Walter S. Johnson Foundation has been a longtime supporter of CLC’s work in Northern California. We are so grateful for their commitment to our mission and trusting us to take risks and expand our services. Without WSJ, we would not have been able to launch our prevention project supporting expectant and parenting foster youth at risk of being separated from their own children. CLC is committed to breaking the intergenerational cycle of foster care, and the support of the Walter S. Johnson Foundation allowed us to provide this critical service to clients in Sacramento and Placer counties. You have our sincerest gratitude!
Congratulations to Judge Jennifer McCartney!
CLC is thrilled to share that CLCLA 5 Firm Director Jennifer McCartney has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Orange County Superior Court! Jennifer’s departure is a tremendous loss for CLC, but an incredible win for the families and children in Orange County who will benefit from her compassion and unwavering dedication to justice.
Jennifer has devoted her entire career to child welfare and has had a lasting impact on the lives of children and families across the state. A proud graduate of Whittier Law School and lifelong public servant, Judge McCartney brings compassion, experience, and deep knowledge of the law to the bench.
Please join us in celebrating this well-deserved appointment!
