Fighting for Kids and Families in Sacramento
On March 23, members of A Better Way's leadership team and I will travel to Sacramento to meet with legislators as part of the California Alliance of Child and Family Services' annual advocacy day.
At A Better Way, we believe that helping children and families means more than providing great services. It also means working to change the policies that affect those services. Advocacy is a core part of what we do.
This month, our team is busy doing just that.
On March 8, I spent the day with young members of the California Youth Connection (CYC), a group led by current and former foster youth. I helped them prepare to share their stories with state legislators. This year, they're pushing for two important bills.
The first, AB 1886, would extend probation protections to foster youth who were left out of a law passed last year. The second, AB 2764, would make sure all California counties follow the same rules for Extended Foster Care—so that young people aren't turned away from support they're entitled to. Watching these young people speak with passion and confidence about issues that directly affect their lives was truly inspiring.
On March 23, members of A Better Way's leadership team and I will travel to Sacramento to meet with legislators as part of the California Alliance of Child and Family Services' annual advocacy day.
We'll be raising several urgent issues:
Mental health support for LGBTQ+ youth. We're pushing to restore a dedicated line within the 988 crisis hotline so LGBTQ+ young people can reach counselors trained to support them.
Better crisis care. We want counties to have more flexibility in how they respond to behavioral health crises, so kids get care in the right setting.
Workforce shortages. It's getting harder to hire and keep qualified staff. We'll be asking for changes that remove hiring barriers and help more people enter the field.
Insurance costs. Many foster care agencies are facing a financial crisis after a major insurer collapsed. Without action, some programs that serve vulnerable kids could shut down.
Housing for young adults. We'll advocate for consistent housing eligibility rules so that young adults leaving foster care can access the support they need.
Advocacy works best when we do it together. We're proud to stand alongside our partners across California to make sure policymakers understand what children, families, and providers are really facing.