Advocacy & Impact
Changing Foster Care from the Inside Out
Co-Sponsoring New Legislation in California to Ensure Healthy Transitions for All California Children in Foster Care
California Assembly Bill 896 will help ensure that every child and youth in foster care experiences a developmentally sensitive and well-planned transition which will help ensure that every child and youth in foster care who moves from one home to another experiences a developmentally sensitive and well-planned transition that addresses their need for strong, consistent relationships.
Launching A New Pilot Project in QPI sites in Nevada To Implement Ways to Increase Compliance with Existing Healthy Transitions Policies for Children in Foster Care
While Nevada successfully created and approved a healthy transitions policy, it is most often ignored when a child moves. In fact, many caseworkers are unaware that a policy exists. Compliance is voluntary and the policy serves as at most, a guide to good practice. This is not atypical in child welfare systems, including systems committed to QPI changes, when there is no monitoring system for compliance. The goals of this pilot project are as follows:
- developing and demonstrating an effective way of implementing the transitions policy;
- measuring the impact of this implementation on child well-being, and on systems goals and developing and compiling direct evidence of the value of transition planning;
- developing a system to ensure that transition planning continues to occur.
Convening Academic Researchers and People with Lived Experiences in Foster Care to Explore New Ways and Policies to Help Teens in Foster Care Thrive
This project, in partnership with the Andrus Family Fund, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the Manuel D. & Rhoda Mayerson Foundation, and the May & Stanley Smith Charitable Trust is seeking to enhance advocacy for teenagers in foster care by integrating developmental research with practical system reforms. By incorporating insights from youth, families, and practitioners alongside scientific findings, the initiative aims to close critical gaps in support during adolescence and the transition to adulthood. In 2025, researchers—guided by insights from youth and families—will share their findings with leaders, policymakers, and practitioners. Our shared goal is to shape policies and practices that empower teens in foster care to thrive, reach their potential, and positively contribute to their communities during adolescence and beyond.