In the past several years The Alliance has experienced an unprecedented growth spurt. With the guidance of a committed Board of Directors, we have doubled our staff and physical space. With the addition of a Pro Bono Director, we have tripled the support we receive from pro bono attorneys and other volunteers. Our growth has been timely, as the drastic state of our economy has plunged more families into poverty and homelessness, often leaving them without health care and reliant on public assistance. Our growth means that we are better able to meet the needs of the increased numbers of children who will fall into foster care. However, we are also painfully aware that the demand for our services is rising as we, and other legal service providers, face funding shortfalls caused by diminished profits in the private sector and by recent IOLTA cuts. There may be fewer advocates and community partners to meet the many and growing needs of the children and caregivers that we work to protect.

And so now more than ever, The Alliance must be thoughtful in its approach to the provision of services and the expenditure of resources. We have engaged for the past year in an analysis of how we can best stretch our resources to maximize the reach of our work. Regarding our individual clients, we continue to maintain and support our programs that focus on helping families combat poverty by obtaining any and all benefits to which they are entitled. However, we have dedicated additional resources and staff to those programs that help lead youth, whose life chances are statistically poor, to better outcomes.

An example is our NextStep program for youth leaving foster care. Where research has shown that many are likely to face multiple disadvantages, including poverty, young parenthood, and homelessness, we have worked to assign them mentors, clear their credit for a fresh start in life, and connect them with educational opportunities. We have also expanded our special education program to include an Early Intervention Fellow to identify infants and toddlers at risk of developmental disabilities and to obtain needed educational services that will enhance their chances of academic and life success.

Similarly, in recognition that a systemic fix to an ongoing problem is worth its weight in gold, especially in these trying times, we have looked beyond our current direct services model to determine how we might use our resources to qualitatively help more of our clients. As a result, our recent legislative efforts mean that approximately 200 disabled youth will leave L.A. County foster care annually with Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in hand so that that they can avoid homelessness. Two class action lawsuits and a recent decision from the Court of Appeals have all helped to repair county child welfare practices that were heretofore disqualifying children and caregivers from needed benefits.

Relishing these substantial results on behalf of many clients at once, our future vision now contemplates the formation of a Policy Division that will work with Alliance staff to identify repeat trends and practices by state and county welfare agencies that deprive our clients of the stability that they need. The Policy Division will partner with pro bono firms and other agencies to address those issues informally where possible, and if those efforts fail, resort to the courts and to the legislature for systemic solutions. Our goal is that working toward systemic results that assist entire segments of our client base will more efficiently and effectively achieve our mission of a safe, stable Los Angeles for all its children and youth.

Laura Steimer
Legal Director, The Alliance for Children's Rights