Dear Friends,

At the UCLA Pritzker Center, we take pride in advancing student learning through thoughtfully curated programming, mission-driven courses, and hands-on experiences. What inspires us most, however, is what we learn from our students—their insights, perspectives, and lived experiences continually shape and strengthen our work.

We believe that everyone is both a teacher and a learner. With this mindset, we strive to create an impact that extends far beyond our walls and into the broader community. In the spirit of Women’s History Month, we are reminded of the importance of elevating diverse voices, honoring lived experiences, and fostering spaces where learning is shared, inclusive, and transformative.

As we look across Los Angeles County, we are proud to recognize the many women leaders whose dedication and leadership continue to shape and strengthen the field of child welfare, creating lasting impact for children, families, and communities.We invite you to read on for a closer look at the work, voices, and moments that inspired us this month.

In community,

The UCLA Pritzker Center Team

Research

UCLA Pritzker Center affiliated faculty and staff, Eraka Bath, MD, Kenyon Lee Whitman, PhD, Laura Liévano-Karim, PhD, Carina F. Rodrigues, MS, Tyrone C. Howard, PhD, and Audra K. Langley, PhD, in the paper, Reimagining Juvenile Legal and Child Welfare Systems Involvement as a Structural Determinant of Health, argue that children’s health and well-being are shaped not only by families and communities, but also by involvement in social systems, such as the child welfare and juvenile justice system, that function as a structural determinant of health.

Read the full paper on the Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP) here.

Ivy Zucaya, PhD, provided public comment at the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting on March 3 regarding Item 19: Strengthening Early Childhood Prevention and Family Stability Using the Superior Court of Los Angeles County’s HOPE Court Program as a Model.

At the request of Judge Ashley Price, with approval from the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, and with support from the Anthony Pritzker Family Foundation, the UCLA Pritzker Center recently launched an evaluation of the HOPE Court.  

Our findings on HOPE Court’s impact related to case outcomes and the experiences of families may inform culturally responsive, trauma informed, and developmentally appropriate practices in SPA 6 and throughout LA County. 

Watch the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Meeting on March 3 here.

In the Community

(L-R): UCLA Pritzker Center Policy & Community Impact Director, Nancy Olivares, MPP; student researchers Olivia Gilchrist, Isabella Reina, and Miya Yamamoto; Executive Director, Taylor Dudley, JD

UCLA Pritzker Center staff and student researchers presented our work to Hang Out Do Good, a 100% grassroots community in Los Angeles County with a mission to bring people together to support local communities through service, resource sharing, and direct community engagement.

Staff and students shared an overview of the UCLA Pritzker Center’s research and work focused on strengthening children and families, and discussed how research, community partnerships, and service can work together to support families across Los Angeles County. The conversation highlighted the importance of collaboration between community organizations, students, and researchers to create meaningful impact for children and families. 

Research director, Brenda A. Tully, PhD, attended a brunch hosted by community partner, SBCC, to celebrate the young adults participating in the ENRICH Stipend and Coaching program. The UCLA Pritzker Center is evaluating this novel intervention that provides a regular stipend combined with coaching to young people in extended foster care in Los Angeles County. The brunch brought together young adults, their friends and family, and SBCC coaches to celebrate as the program winds down. The final round of data collection, a survey of young adult participants, is launching shortly.

Jennifer L. Braun, President & CEO of the Alliance for Children's Rights, speaking at the Champions for Children event on March 19. (Photo credit: Alliance for Children's Rights)

The UCLA Pritzker Center team attended the 34th annual Champions for Children event hosted by the Alliance for Children's Rights, celebrating the Alliance and sharing stories of impact, advocacy, and justice for young people and families impacted by foster care. 

As an early partner in our domestic violence work, the UCLA Pritzker Center was proud to join the YWCA Glendale and Pasadena in celebrating their 100th anniversary. For the past century, the YWCA has served girls and women through evolving, community-centered programming. Their vision of peace, justice, freedom, and dignity has centered on women’s empowerment and racial equity. Our team is especially inspired by the YWCA’s work and their pivotal role in shaping practices that support domestic violence survivors navigating the child welfare system, helping to create safer, more responsive services for families in need.

UCLA Pritzker Center and UCLA TIES for Families team members at the Compton Court.

Team members from the UCLA Pritzker Center and UCLA TIES for Families visited the HOPE Court to learn more about the program and its impact on families involved in the child welfare system. During the visit, the UCLA team had the opportunity to observe the courtroom and speak with Judge Ashley Price about the goals of HOPE Court and how the program supports parents and families through a problem-solving court approach.

The visit provided valuable insight into how HOPE Court works to strengthen families, support parents, and promote positive case outcomes, and helped strengthen ongoing collaboration between UCLA and the Superior Court of Los Angeles County.

On Campus

As part of PUB AFF 124: Child Welfare Policy in America, students participated in a 2026 Career Panel featuring a diverse group of professionals working across the child welfare field. Panelists included Eva Espinoza Friedman (Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services), Dr. Catherine DeRidder (Los Angeles General Medical Center), Emma Chen (Office of Senator Adam Schiff), Luciana Svidler (Children’s Law Center of California), Dr. Brandi Eichstedt (Children’s Institute Inc.), and Analy Ventura (Para Los Niños). 

Representing leadership in public service, healthcare, law, policy, and community-based organizations, the panel offered students insight into a wide range of career pathways. Panelists shared their professional journeys, discussed systemic challenges in child welfare, and emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to supporting children and families. We thank these inspiring professionals for lending their time and talent to the next generation of child welfare leaders.

Thirty-four students completed PUB AFF 124: Child Welfare Policy in America, a course offered through the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. The course examines contemporary issues facing families involved in the American child welfare system, providing students with a strong foundation in its history and the ways it continues to shape present-day policy and practice.

Throughout the course, students explored critical topics including racism, disability, substance use, health and well-being, education, and immigration status. They also evaluated ongoing challenges within the child welfare system and engaged in identifying thoughtful policy and practice solutions. 

UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent 2026 Summit keynote and fireside chat with Annie E. Casey Foundation President & CEO, Lisa Lawson, JD, moderated by Adriana Galvin.

The UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent hosted the 2026 Adolescent Brain Development Summit, Applying Developmental Science to Support Economic Opportunity, on March 19 at the UCLA Luskin Conference Center. UCLA Pritzker Center research director, Brenda A. Tully, PhD, appreciated the many panelists, including young adults with various lived experiences. Foundational to expanding economic opportunity for Gen Z is ensuring their basic needs are met. Key takeaways for positioning Gen Z to thrive include the development of durable skills (i.e., soft skills) for navigating the fast-changing labor market, infusing all learning and work with purpose and connection, centering youth engagement to innovate solutions to social, economic, climate, and equity challenges of today.

Inspiration & Ideas

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

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