California Youth Connection (CYC)

CYC attended the 4th annual Foster Museum of art last month at @MuseumNorthern. Butte County core organizer Vee attended and spoke about her experience with #CYC. The exhibition was dedicated to sharing and celebrating #FosterYouth resilience, talents, and perseverance.

Earlier this month, the Sacramento Chapter gathered for their Spring Picnic to celebrate Foster Care Awareness Month and the 25 Year Anniversary of the Foster Youth Bill of Rights! Become a CYC member --> calyouthconn.org/get-involved/c… #CaliforniaYouthConnection

L.A. County Child Welfare Director Brandon Nichols Stepping Down imprintnews.org/top-stories/l-…

Happy #AAPIHeritageMonth! ❤️

Today on the Assembly floor, Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens read ACR 189, proclaiming May 2026 as Foster Youth Awareness Month in California. Asm. Ahrens, a former foster youth who once lived out of a car with his twin brother, spoke from lived experience and conviction: "Some of us with a lot of hard work and a little luck can even make it here to the floor of the Assembly." Asm. Sade Elhawary, a current foster mom, added her own powerful voice to the moment, sharing that she spent this Mother's Day with her foster daughter. Her words and her commitment to opening her home to a child in need reflect exactly what this month is about. Asm. Ahrens was joined by youth advocates from California Youth Connection and John Burton Advocates for Youth, and we were proud to have our own Celeste Walley, Permanency and Youth Engagement Advisor for the CA Alliance, in the room representing our members and the young people they serve. ACR 189 recognizes the strength and resilience of foster youth, the families who open their homes to them, and the foster family agencies, relatives, and nonprofits who show up for children every day. The CA Alliance is proud to stand with Asm. Ahrens, Asm. Elhawary, and every organization named in this resolution. Foster youth are not defined by the barriers they face. They are leaders, advocates, and changemakers. @JBAforYouth @CalYouthConn @AsmAhrens @AsmSadeElhawary

AB 2764, authored by Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens, passed off the Assembly floor yesterday and is now headed to the Senate. This is a major win for foster youth across California. Too many young people leaving foster care face unlawful barriers to Extended Foster Care housing programs, barriers that have no basis in state law. AB 2764 would create uniform eligibility standards statewide, so that a young person's access to housing and support is not determined by their county or caseworker. Thank you to Assemblymember Ahrens for authoring this bill and to our co-sponsors John Burton Advocates for Youth and California Youth Connection for standing alongside the CA Alliance in this fight. On to the Senate. @AsmAhrens @JBAforYouth @CalYouthConn

National Foster Care Day 💙 National Foster Care Day 💙 National Foster Care Day 💙

May is Foster Youth Awareness Month in California, and we are proud to celebrate Assembly Concurrent Resolution 189, brought by Assemblymember Ahrens. ACR 189 recognizes the strength and resilience of foster youth across our state and the families, agencies, and communities that show up for them every day. We are grateful to work alongside California Youth Connection in championing this recognition. Thank you, Asm. Ahrens, for your continued commitment to California's foster youth. #FosterYouthAwarenessMonth leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavC… @AsmAhrens @CalYouthConn

May is #FosterCareAwarenessMonth 💙 Join us this month as we continue to raise awareness, share stories, and celebrate the 25 year anniversary of the Foster Youth Bill of Rights!! Learn more ---> calyouthconn.org/foster-care-aw…

Two Former Foster Youth Are Among the Center for Native American Youth’s Annual Fellows imprintnews.org/top-stories/fo…

AB 2764 has passed out of the Assembly Committee on Human Services. It is now headed to the floor! Call your Assemblymember and ask them to vote YES on AB 2764.

Applications are open for the 2026 FYIA Leadership Fellowship! Lead Coordinator app: surveymonkey.com/r/93YV6ZJ Fellowship Organizer app: surveymonkey.com/r/9FHZHZP #FYIA #NationalLeadershipFellowship #FosterCareSystem #FosterYouth

AB 2764 was unanimously passed out of the Assembly Committee on Human Services today. Authored by Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens, this bill would create uniform eligibility standards for Extended Foster Care programs statewide, so young people are no longer blocked from housing and support by county-level requirements that go beyond what the law actually requires. Thank you to David Channer, President and CEO of Alliance member A Better Way, and to the youth representative from California Youth Connection for sharing powerful testimony in support. Grateful to our co-sponsors John Burton Advocates for Youth and California Youth Connection for standing alongside us. Between 31 and 46 percent of young people who experienced foster care face homelessness by age 26. AB 2764 is a step toward changing that. @AsmAhrens @JBAforYouth @CalYouthConn

Thank you to our volunteer supporters for all the ways you show up for CYC members and staff! Learn more and apply to become a CYC volunteer supporter ---> calyouthconn.org/get-involved/v…

Exciting update! AB 1886 (Elhawary) PASSED in the Public Safety Committee!

San Francisco youth, check out this opportunity! #SanFrancisco #FosterYouth #FosterCare

Supportive Adults and Flexible Funds: Study Looks at What Foster Youth Who’ve Been Exploited Need Most imprintnews.org/top-stories/su…

CYC will be closed on April 10, 2026 in honor of Dolores Huerta Day 🧡

We just wrapped up an important session: High Fidelity Wraparound Implementation: At the Intersection of Collaboration This discussion brought together leaders from across systems to explore what it will take to ensure High Fidelity Wraparound implementation in California meets the vision and intent of the Administration. From provider and county perspectives to youth voice and state leadership, the conversation highlighted both the opportunities and the challenges ahead. This is a critical and emerging area of work, and today’s dialogue underscored the importance of cross-system collaboration to ensure children, youth, and families receive coordinated, high-quality care. Thank you to an outstanding panel: Adrienne Shilton (CA Alliance), Leticia Galyean (Seneca Family of Agencies), Susan Lawol (County Welfare Directors Association of California), Diana Boyer (County Welfare Directors Association of California), Judge Katherine Lucero (Office of Youth and Community Restoration), Jodie Langs (County Behavioral Health Directors Association), and Carolyn Reyes (California Youth Connection). #AdvocacyInAction2026 #CAAllianceAdvocacyday @SenecaFOA @CWDA_CA @cal_oycr @CBHA_Updates @CalYouthConn

Finish this sentence: Youth in foster care deserve ______________