California Alliance of Child and Family Services

08/21/2026

Today is National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day. Fentanyl is the leading cause of
overdose deaths in the United States, and youth in foster care are among the most vulnerable.
Awareness, prevention, and access to care save lives.

08/19/2026

The California Alliance was at the Capitol today to stand with California Big City Mayors and partners in support of Proposition 1, the Veterans and Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026.

Our members see every day how housing instability affects children, youth, and families. Prop 1 would make a significant investment in affordable housing across California, including permanent housing for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and expanded opportunities for veterans, seniors, and working families. The measure also includes a youth set-aside targeting foster youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness, a population our members work with every day.

Housing stability matters. It gives families a foundation to stay together, access services, and thrive.

CA Alliance is proud to support Yes on Prop 1.

08/19/2026

Yesterday's The Sacramento Bee coverage of the roundtable with Senator Alex Padilla captures what CA Alliance and our fellow nonprofit leaders are seeing in our communities, funding instability driven by federal cuts and proposed rule changes that make it harder to plan, retain staff, and reassure the families and communities who count on us. The article outlines the scale of what's at stake for California's nonprofit sector and the services it supports.

Read the full article: https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article316924545.html

08/19/2026

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.

08/18/2026

Thank you to U.S. Senator Alex Padilla for convening today's roundtable on the cuts to federal funding and the risk that proposed changes to OMB grantmaking rules pose to California communities. CA Alliance CEO Pete Weldy joined leaders from UC Davis , California Association of Nonprofits , CalCAPA , Child Care Resource Center , California Immigrant Policy Center , Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights , League of California Community Foundations , and California Food Banks to speak to what is at stake for children, youth, and families.

"The vulnerable families served by California's community-based nonprofits are hanging on by a thread, and that thread is Medi-Cal. Cut a parent off from care, and kids get hurt too," said Pete Weldy, CEO of CA Alliance. "CA Alliance members thank Senator Padilla for fighting to protect the coverage our families and our future depend on."

We are proud to stand with this coalition to protect California's most vulnerable populations.

08/18/2026

The Imprint published a profile today on Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens, a former foster youth who now represents Silicon Valley in the California State Assembly. The piece follows his path from a childhood marked by housing instability and family separation to legislative efforts aimed at enhancing the social safety net for foster youth and other vulnerable Californians.

The CA Alliance was honored to sponsor his AB 2764, part of a broader package that bolsters protections for young adults in extended foster care. We thank Assemblymember Ahrens for bringing policy expertise and personal understanding to this work, and we look forward to continuing to partner with him on behalf of the children and families we serve.

Read the full piece here:

Bills by Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens aim to help transition-age foster youth and protect vulnerable Californians from safety net cuts.

08/18/2026

Today at 10 a.m., CA Alliance will be at a roundtable with U.S. Senator Alex Padilla and statewide partners on the threat proposed OMB grantmaking rule changes pose to California's nonprofit sector. We will speak to what is at stake for children, youth, and families if federal grant restrictions move forward, from foster care to behavioral health to prevention services. When federal investment in the safety net shrinks, the impact hits the kids and families these programs serve.

Join the conversation live: https://link.edgepilot.com/x/Su9BseBXSAPwjCrmjz1xNgQ?u=https://ucop.zoom.us/j/9470132571

08/17/2026

Today is National Nonprofit Day. Across California, our member organizations show up every day
for children, youth, and families who need them most. That work is made possible by mission driven staff, committed caregivers, and community partners.

08/17/2026

What does it mean to let a young person choose where and with whom they live? AB 2802 was designed to answer that question for transition-age youth in transitional housing, and two years in, there's a lot to learn from how it's playing out.

CA Alliance's Adrienne Shilton and Selena Liu Raphael will join a panel of housing providers for this webinar, hosted by Alliance for Children's Rights , to share insights on what's improved, what still needs work, and how providers can better support youth in these decisions.

Wednesday, September 23 | 10 AM to 12 PM
Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4356523911576679001

08/15/2026

There are still a few weeks left to register for Stronger Together 2026, and we want you in the room. This conference is the largest gathering of California's child and family services workforce, 800+ professionals who share your challenges, your mission, and your commitment to the children and families we serve.

Register at https://www.cacfs.org/2026-california-child-family-services-conference before August 31.