California Alliance of Child and Family Services

10/22/2026

Yesterday our Listening and Learning Tour made its next stop, and we're grateful to Sierra Vista Child & Family Services for hosting us.

Getting out into the regions to sit down with member leadership is some of the most important work we do. These conversations give us a direct line to what our members are seeing on the ground: the challenges, the triumphs, and everything in between. What we hear in these rooms shapes our advocacy, our support, and our work across California.

Thank you to every leader who joined us, shared openly, and helped us better understand what your organizations need right now. A special thank you to our sponsors, HUB International , Kooth US , and UST , for helping make these conversations possible.

10/22/2026

New laws and new funding mean real changes for California's children, youth, and families. Do you know what passed this year and how it affects your work?

Join CA Alliance and partners on Wednesday, Oct. 28, from 10 a.m. to noon PT for a review of the 2026 legislative session and budget. We'll cover the major bills signed into law, the investments approved, and what it all means for the young people and families our members serve.

Many thanks to The Alliance for Children's Rights for hosting this webinar.

Register:

10/22/2026

Well deserved! CA Alliance member Casa Pacifica was named a 2026 Top Employer in the Best of Ventura County Community's Choice Awards. Thank you for the compassion and heart you bring to children, young adults, and families every day.

10/22/2026

California knows firsthand what happens when the liability insurance market for foster care fails. After our state's primary insurer stopped covering foster family agencies in 2024, 28 agencies had closed by April 2026, putting placements and continuity of care at risk for children and youth with the highest needs.

Now our partners at the Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies (COFCCA) are sounding the alarm in New York. Their new white paper, "New York's Foster Care Is On the Precipice: Confronting the Liability Insurance Cliff," lays out the warning signs: a highly concentrated insurance market, rising nuclear verdicts, and premiums climbing far faster than funding.

We were glad to share California's perspective in the report. As our Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Strategy, Adrienne Shilton, puts it: "The youth and families served by FFAs didn't create this crisis, but that's who is hurt when these essential nonprofits are forced to shut their doors."

This isn't just a California problem or a New York problem. It's a national one, and it's solvable if policymakers act in time.

Read the full white paper: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rj2iEmAUlDlNyJffuUaJIPvbIyx79y5w/view

10/21/2026

Need support? The Family Urgent Response System , previously known as Cal-FURS, is always here for you. Current and former youth and caregivers can learn more at FamilyResponseCA.org

10/20/2026

There is no reason too big or too small to reach out to 988. Mental health crises, substance use challenges, anxiety, loneliness, and relationship struggles are all reasons to call, text, or chat. Counselors at crisis centers like CA Alliance member Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services are ready to listen.

For foster family agencies, STRTPs, caregivers, and schools: California Department of Health Care Services DHCS now offers free 988 posters, flyers, and outreach materials at ca988.org, available in more than a dozen languages. Phone support is also available with interpreters in more than 240 languages.

Help the young people and families in your care know that support is always one call, text, or chat away. Download materials at ca988.org/resources-and-materials.

Find su***de prevention and related mental health resources and materials under the respective community and provider tabs.

10/17/2026

The California 988 Network has a new home online. California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) just launched ca988.org, a simple, direct way for Californians to connect with free, confidential crisis support 24/7/365.

Three ways to reach a trained crisis counselor:
Call 988
Text 988
Chat at 988lifeline.org

Behind those three digits are crisis centers like CA Alliance member Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services , answering every day. For the children, youth, and families our members serve, knowing where to turn in a hard moment can make all the difference. Learn more at ca988.org.

California’s Crisis Care Continuum is made up of the providers and services dedicated to supporting people experiencing a behavioral health crisis.

10/15/2026

For young people experiencing homelessness or transitioning out of foster care, access to safe, stable, affordable housing can make a meaningful difference in their ability to build independence and success.

The CA Alliance supports Prop 1, the Veterans and Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026, which would authorize $11.25 billion in bonds for affordable housing programs, including a dedicated $150 million for current and former foster youth and young people at risk of homelessness. The measure builds on California’s efforts to address homelessness and expand access to affordable homes.

For the children, youth, and families served by CA Alliance members, housing is more than a roof overhead. It is a foundation for stability, well-being, and opportunity. Young people deserve the support and resources to pursue their education, develop life skills, and transition to adulthood with greater security.