Dear Friends,

As the 2024–2025 school year officially comes to a close, we remain mindful of the many heartbreaking challenges facing Los Angeles, our communities, and the world. Still, over the past month, we’ve found moments of light and hope—seeing our students’ joyful faces at graduation, welcoming new colleagues to our team, and convening thought leaders to reflect on Pride and strengthening support for LGBTQ+ youth. These moments have reminded us of the many forms protest and progress can take, even if briefly.

And then, we returned to the heart of our work: conducting research, teaching and learning alongside our students, taking field trips, and strengthening relationships both on campus and within our communities—all in pursuit of meaningful reform in child welfare. This constant interplay between recognizing what is good and confronting what must change continues to ground and energize our work. 

In the months ahead, the UCLA Pritzker Center will deepen our work around immigration and racial equity—core issues that continue to shape the lives of families involved with Los Angeles County child welfare. While our commitment remains steadfast, we’ll be pausing our newsletter for the summer. We look forward to reconnecting in the fall with updates on our work and a community research briefing on the impact of the Eaton Fire on foster care and education in Altadena.

In community,

The UCLA Pritzker Center Team

RECAP

Earlier this month, we held a transformative talk dedicated to enhancing support systems for LGBTQ+ youth, featuring five distinguished speakers: Ariel Bustamante, LA LGBT Center; Aaron Fox, Office of Supervisor Lindsey Horvath; Vida Khavar, Family Builders; Ivy Snyder, PhD, UCLA Health EMPWR Clinic; and Currey Cook, Lambda Legal. The talk explored effective strategies and shared resources aimed at fostering a nurturing and inclusive environment for young people. Whether you are a professional working with youth or a community member committed to inclusivity, you can make a meaningful difference in shaping a more accepting and supportive future for LGBTQ+ youth. Watch the Pride Talk now on our YouTube!

We're thrilled to welcome Nancy back to the team—this time as our new Policy and Community Impact Director! After contributing to our work as a graduate student researcher while earning her Master’s in Public Policy, she's returning to help lead our policy efforts, build stronger community ties, and turn our research into action for the future of child welfare. We’re so excited for what’s ahead!

RESEARCH

On Wednesday, June 18, Brenda A. Tully, research director, and Isabella Reina, undergraduate research assistant, joined the Youth Law Center’s Transition-Age Youth Civil Legal Practice Exchange to present intermediate findings from ongoing research: A Case Study of FYI Housing Choice Vouchers in Los Angeles: The experiences of young adults, case managers, and property managers. This study is identifying facilitators and barriers to getting and using Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) housing choice vouchers in LA County. Discussion revolved around the implications of the intermediate findings from a legal perspective. Stay tuned for the final results this fall. This study was generously funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation through a subaward from the Transition-Age Research and Evaluation Hub at UC Berkeley.

On June 2, our research director, Brenda A. Tully, LCSW, PhD, and her esteemed colleagues earned certificates of completion from Coro LA as the 2025 cohort of the Housing and Houselessness Leadership Network (HHLN). HHLN provided the cohort with the leadership skills, a cross-sectoral network, & deeper understanding to advance their capacity to ignite impact across the region to better provide houselessness & housing solutions & services. Dr. Tully particularly appreciated the connections developed with colleagues and opportunities to reassess and continue developing her leadership skills to work more sustainably within the housing and houselessness field.

In collaboration with Good River Partners, and with support from the UniHealth Foundation and Wells Fargo, we will be releasing a brief centered around the housing preferences among former foster youth.

The Housing Preferences Survey was designed with the intention of elevating and integrating youth voice and experience into future investments for transition-aged youth housing across the county. The survey explored preferred locations, amenities of interest, ideal living arrangements and barriers to securing housing for former foster youth.

We value your engagement and perspectives. Stay tuned for the release of the survey findings brief later this month. In the meantime, we invite you to read our recommendations and share your thoughts, watch our event videos, download the slides and one pager, and browse the photo gallery!

IN THE COMMUNITY

On June 25, the UCLA Pritzker Center convened other programs located in UCLA Downtown for a casual lunch and networking event to foster connection and collaboration across disciplines. Joined by our colleagues from the UCLA Center for Justice and Prison Education Program, Labor Studies, Voting Rights Project, Center for Diverse Leadership in Science, and UCLA Extension, we had the chance to get to know one another, share about our work, and explore opportunities to work together in the shared space downtown. We’re excited to keep strengthening community ties as we grow into this new hub for impact and engagement in Los Angeles.

Wolf Connection is a nonprofit organization and wolf sanctuary, empowering all to believe in their worthiness, their inner capacity for personal growth, and the power of the pack. Through direct relationship with wolves, Wolf Connection helps participants discover self-confidence and purpose, develop clearer communication skills and a sense of oneness with themselves and the world around them.

Our team had the pleasure of visiting Wolf Connection in the Antelope Valley, where we connected with wolves, nature, and our team members. We also shared our Antelope Valley landscape study with the Wolf Connection team. Thank you for having us, Wolf Connection!

ON CAMPUS

Photo of UCLA Pritzker Center team with Dr. Felicia Knaul at the Westwood office.

We were honored to welcome Dr. Felicia Knaul, Associate of the UCLA Chancellor, to our office for a meaningful conversation and briefing on our work at the UCLA Pritzker Center.

Dr. Knaul’s wide-ranging research has focused on violence against women and children, access to pain relief and palliative care, cancer, health systems and reform, health financing, women and health, poverty and inequity, female labor force participation and at-risk children and youth. As a leader in multiple fields that intersect with child welfare, we are thrilled to explore pathways for future collaboration with Dr. Knaul. 

Congratulations to our co-director, Dr. Audra Langley, on receiving the Outstanding Research Mentor award from the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences!

Congratulations to our research assistants Valeria Morales Navarro (B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Education & Social Transformation) and Abigail Adams (B.A. in Public Affairs) and our operations and policy assistant, Emma Chen (B.A. in Economics and Public Affairs)!

We’re so proud of all they’ve accomplished during their time with us—from supporting research and operations to bringing fresh insight and energy to our work. As they take their next steps, we’re excited to see all the ways they’ll continue to grow into professionals in the child welfare space and create social impact.

INSPIRATION & IDEAS

Download the spreadsheet from our partners at the UCLA Prevention Center of Excellence, that includes a compiled list of resources focused on supporting immigrant youth and families, providers and educators.

Watch the video series created by system-impacted young people for system-impacted young people. These short videos cover various topics using skits and testimonials to inform young people and those who support them about their educational rights. To learn more about the Office of Child Protection and the Educational Rights Videos, visit ocp.lacounty.gov.

Have you used our research to support your work?

© 2025 UCLA Pritzker Center for Strengthening Children and Families. All Rights Reserved.

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