Dear Friends,
Welcome back!
It's a new school year at UCLA (the #1 public university AGAIN!) and a new look for our newsletter. As we embark on the 24-25 school year, we are inspired by the people, ideas, and solutions that expand our notion of what is possible for child and family well-being and our child welfare system.
Read on for a review of our summer and a peak into what's next for us! As always, we welcome you to join us along the way and thank you for your interest in our collective work.
In community,
The UCLA Pritzker Center Team
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Special Event: Collaborative Reform in Child Welfare for Families Experiencing Domestic Violence in the Antelope Valley
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On behalf of the UCLA Pritzker Center, we are pleased to announce the forthcoming release of a new report: Collaborative Reform in Child Welfare for Families Experiencing Domestic Violence. The report is expected to be released in October 2024.
To hear more about the report and additional efforts to make actionable reform, please join us for a special presentation with Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, DCFS Director Brandon Nichols, and other distinguished guests.
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| Behind Closed Doors: Intimate Partner Violence and Child Welfare
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This training, presented by the DMH + UCLA Wellbeing for LA Learning Center, defines intimate partner violence (IPV) by identifying the types of abuse and cycles of violence that may exist in a relationship. The effects and impact of IPV on children and families within the Child Welfare System will also be examined. Lastly, this training will review best practices and treatment interventions clinicians can utilize to address IPV in the communities they are working with.
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You’re invited to an Open House at the UCLA Pritzker Center! Join us for an exciting morning of community and collaboration. Tour our Westwood office, engage with our faculty, staff, and students, and learn more about our research from our team. Whether you’re curious about the latest in child welfare or looking to foster campus and community partnerships, there’s something for everyone. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to connect with us at the UCLA Pritzker Center!
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Meet our Research Directors, Dr. Brenda A. Tully and Dr. Ivy Zucaya! |
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Meet our Research Directors, Dr. Brenda A. Tully and Dr. Ivy Zucaya!
Dr. Brenda A. Tully originally joined the UCLA Pritzker Center as a Research Fellow after earning her PhD in Social Welfare at UCLA in September 2022 prior to her promotion as a Research Director. Dr. Tully holds twenty years of experience in social work practice with children, youth, and families in the child welfare system which informs her research in racial equity and domestic violence as it pertains to the child welfare system, housing for transitional-age youth, and more.
Dr. Ivy Zucaya is a new addition to the UCLA Pritzker Center team as a Research Director, with expertise in child sexual exploitation and child safety policy and reducing and preventing child maltreatment in California. Dr. Zucaya holds five years of professional experience assessing youth wellbeing and investigating child maltreatment and exploitation (including internet crimes against children) and nine years of research and evaluation experience in areas of child abuse, emotional/psychological abuse, and child safety.
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UCLA Pritzker Center team launches new Adverse Children Experiences (ACEs) research project in partnership with the UCLA/UCSF ACEs-Aware Family Resilience Network (UCAAN) |
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In partnership with Dr. Shannon Thyne and members of the UCLA/UCSF ACEs-Aware Family Resilience Network (UCAAN), the UCLA Pritzker team launched an analysis of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) screening and response activities conducted through the ACEs-LA Network of Care to examine the impact of screening on care receipt and child outcomes. Over the next six months, the team will present emerging results and implications through a series of policy briefs and presentations.
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UCLA Pritzker Center Co-Director, Audra Langley, PhD, presented at the International Conference on Adoption Research (ICAR) in Minneapolis, MN and the American Psychological Association (APA) Symposium in Seattle, WA |
(L-R): Farzana Saleem, PhD; Matthew Ruderman, PhD; Kenyon Whitman, PhD; Audra Langley, PhD; Emma Keller, BSEd, BA at the "The Intersection of Race and Foster Care: A Call for Increased Ethnic-Racial Socialization Efforts" symposium at the APA Convention 2024
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The APA symposium, "The Intersection of Race and Foster Care: A Call for Increased Ethnic-Racial Socialization Efforts," held on August 8, 2024, highlighted the experiences of resource parents, college students of color with foster care history, and individuals adopted from foster care with racial injustice, discrimination, and identity development, lessons learned from COVID-19, and the importance of integrating opportunities for racial socialization into child welfare spaces.
Dr. Langley also presented "Lessons Learned from Foster/Adoptive Families Navigating Two Pandemics: The Importance of Racial Identity and Racial Socialization" at ICAR alongside Eugenia Hsu Tsao, PhD; Jill Waterman, PhD; Ana Carina Ordaz, PhD; and Matthew Ruderman, PhD. The symposium explored lessons learned from the impact of COVID-19 and ongoing racial injustice on foster/adoptive families, including findings from resource parents, youth, and their mental health providers. Findings from various studies highlighted the need to integrate opportunities for intersectional adoption identity, racial identity, and racial socialization into foster/adoptive family supports and mental health service delivery.
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UCLA Pritzker Center Research Team delivered two academic presentations at the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect (ISPCAN) Congress in Uppsala, Sweden
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Brenda A. Tully, PhD during her academic presentation, "Bridging the Gap: A Collaborative Cross-System Response to Domestic Violence in Child Welfare" at ISPCAN.
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UCLA Pritzker Center Research Director, Brenda A. Tully, PhD, and Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Laura Liévano-Karim, PhD, traveled to Uppsala, Sweden, for the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect (ISPCAN) Congress, a four-day international conference on child protection research and practice and provided a unique opportunity for learning and networking with attendees from 73 countries.
On August 20, the researchers delivered two academic presentations. Dr. Tully presented Bridging the Gap: A Collaborative Cross-System Response to Domestic Violence in Child Welfare, which documents the experiences of parent survivors of domestic violence with child welfare system contact across both systems and how one child welfare office and domestic violence service agency responded to strengthen collaboration in the service of families. Dr. Liévano-Karim presented on our Courageous Conversations research, which documents how Black children and youth navigate foster care, particularly when placed with non-Black caregivers.
Participants from diverse professional backgrounds and disciplines engaged in these sessions, sparking critical conversations about the nuances and knowledge necessary among child welfare system staff to more effectively assess and support parent survivors of domestic violence and their children and the need for meaningful reforms that address the specific needs of Black youth in foster care, promoting their positive development and building a more equitable and supportive system for them and their families.
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Laura Liévano-Karim, PhD presenting the study focus of Courageous Conversations at ISPCAN.
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UCLA Pritzker Center Field Trip Series |
As part of our mission to engage with our community, the UCLA Pritzker Center team embarked on a series of field trips this past summer to foster deeper connections with local organizations, to learn about the unique challenges and strengths within these communities, to inform our research and learn how our work impacts the children and families in the community.
We visited the Children's Bureau (now All For Kids) Magnolia Place Family Center, Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital, and Peace4Kids. Our team gained new insights, strengthened our community partnerships, and created connections between our research and real world needs. Many thanks to our generous hosts for having us!
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UCLA Pritzker Center team, joined by All for Kids CEO, Ronald Brown, PhD at the Magnolia Place Family Center.
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“... after the tour and being able to see the amazing work that Children's Bureau does, I couldn't stop thinking about how organizations like these should be available in so many more communities! I was even more excited to learn that they had opened up a new location in Palmdale! I can't wait to hopefully work with them in the future in any way I can!”
— Mia Meza, BSN
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UCLA Pritzker Center team in front of the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital.
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“Visiting MLK Jr. Community Hospital was an eye-opening experience. I loved seeing how dedicated the staff are and the real difference they make in the community. It reinforced just how vital accessible, compassionate healthcare is for overall community well-being.”
— Claudia Martinez, MSW, MPH
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UCLA Pritzker Center team with Peace4Kids' Executive Director and Co-Founder, Zaid Gayle; Director of Mental Health and Wellness, Jasmine Lamitte, LCSW; Program Coordinator, Mir Cortez-Cáceres; and Systems Navigation Support, Jhamasa Lewis-Adams, ACSW.
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“I really enjoyed visiting Peace4Kids and learning about all the different recreational programs and unique activities they provide for their participants. The team was so kind and welcoming, happy to share their work and future plans for growth to best serve children in different parts of Los Angeles. It was inspiring and exciting to hear about. Thank you, Peace4Kids!”
— Olivia Gilchrist, Psychology and Public Affairs Student
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Child Welfare Summer Seminar Series |
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This summer, the UCLA Pritzker Center hosted a Child Welfare Summer Seminar Series for UCLA faculty, staff, and students! Visit our YouTube playlist to watch our summer seminars and learn more about child welfare and its intersection with housing, policy and practice, education, and mental health!
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Bruin Guardian Scholars Move-In Day |
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On September 21, the UCLA Pritzker Center team joined hands with Bruin Guardian Scholars on move-in day to support former foster youth as they settle into their dorms and start the academic year.
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UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs Undergraduate Open House |
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On September 25, our team joined the Undergraduate Open House hosted by the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. We met and welcomed first-year and transfer students to the Bruin community, introduced students to our work and explored connections between child welfare and public affairs.
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"Experiencing UCLA UniCamp is transformative. From discussing sustainability through a camp-wide thrift store to shouting encouragement to campers climbing the alpine tower, UniCamp promotes an environment of learning, growth, and fun for campers and counselors alike. It was so special to build strong relationships with campers and help them create fun memories in just one week's time. I look forward to my continued involvement and leadership development as Vice Chair for the 2024-2025 camp season!"
– Olivia "Aspen" Gilchrist
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Among Us from UCLA’s Center for the Transformation of Schools uplifts the experiences of youth furthest from opportunity, and uncovers how systems and structures both in and out-of-school are either helping or harming young people. Through conversations with community leaders, scholars, advocates, and youth who have persevered, we examine the barriers preventing students from thriving—and what we all can do about it.
UCLA Pritzker Center Co-Directors Tyrone Howard, PhD, and Audra Langley, PhD, had the incredible opportunity to participate in two episodes: Episode 1, "Who Are Foster Students? A Roundtable with UCLA Education Scholars" and Episode 6, "Breaking Through Barriers: Foster Youth Navigating Higher Education."
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| Los Angeles Dependency Lawyers (LADL) has a 100% FREE Parent Hope-line resource available for parents at (323) 790-5235.
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Have you used our research to support your work?
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© 2024 UCLA Pritzker Center for Strengthening Children and Families. All Rights Reserved.
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