Dear Friends,
In recognition of National Foster Care Month, throughout the month of May, we came together with our communities, students and campus leaders in furtherance of child welfare system reform. From Norwalk, to the Antelope Valley, to Westwood, the UCLA Pritzker Center continues to engage in research, education, and partnership that emphasizes lived experience and service learning.
In early May, we partnered with A Sense of Home to build out a home creation for a young person with foster care experience. As our team built a crib and hung frames from the walls, we imagined the memories and dreams that would take shape in the space. In the Antelope Valley, we heard from nearly 200 guests about the need for research centered on the changing needs of the community. And finally, in Westwood, we celebrated our graduates—taking flight from UCLA to work in law, social work, cooperative farming, and further educational studies.
This month highlighted the many ways our mission comes to life. We celebrated student and staff achievements, shared our work with audiences on campus and across the country, and recognized the contributions of our student researchers during UCLA Undergraduate Research Week. As we look ahead to June and commencement season, we invite you to save the date for our annual Pride Talk on June 23 and thank you for being part of our vision for children and families.
In community,
The UCLA Pritzker Center Team
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National Foster Care Month
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As a bridge from UCLA and into neighborhoods across the region, the UCLA Pritzker Center for Strengthening Children and Families teams with researchers and community leaders to boldly challenge and resolve systemic issues that have made Los Angeles County’s child welfare system one of the largest in the nation.
The UCLA Pritzker Center designed this resource to equip campus and community partners with accessible language, data, and resources to support informed conversations and meaningful engagement with the child welfare system.
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Save the Date for the 2026 Pride Talk |
In celebration of Pride Month, please save the date for the UCLA Pritzker Center 2026 Pride Talk on Tuesday, June 23, 2026 from 12:30-1:30pm.
This year’s conversation, Safe and Supported: Harm Reduction and Pathways Toward Hope Amid Policy Change for LGBTQ+ Youth in Foster Care, will bring together researchers, advocates, practitioners, and community leaders to explore how systems can better support the safety, wellbeing, and belonging of LGBTQ+ youth and families. The discussion will highlight harm reduction approaches, emerging policies and pathways toward hope, equity, and affirming care.
Additional details, speakers, and registration information will be shared soon.
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Sharing our research nationwide at the Research and Evaluation Conference on Self-Sufficiency (RECS) |
A Case Study of Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) Housing Choice Vouchers in Los Angeles: The Experiences of Young Adults, Property Owners, and Case Managers was presented at the 23rd Research and Evaluation Conference on Self Sufficiency (RECS) in Washington, DC. Findings highlight that young people with an FYI voucher need specialized housing navigation that centers the needs of youth exiting the foster system and engages property owners and managers in this voucher program. The conference is sponsored by the Administration of Children and Families. Thanks to our study funders: the Transition Age Youth Research and Evaluation Hub (TAY Hub) at the University of California, Berkeley through a sub-award from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and The Anthony Pritzker Family Foundation. The final report will be available this summer.
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UCLA Pritzker Center team members pictured at the UCLA x Antelope Valley: Investment, Innovation, and Impact for Children in Families event in Lancaster on May 27.
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UCLA x Antelope Valley: Investment, Innovation, and Impact for Children and Families |
The UCLA Pritzker Center recently welcomed nearly 200 community partners, civic leaders, advocates, and residents from across the Antelope Valley for an afternoon focused on investment, innovation, and long-term impact for children and families in the region.
The gathering highlighted the UCLA Pritzker Center’s ongoing commitment to the Antelope Valley and featured conversations with partners from Valley Oasis, Los Angeles County DCFS, and Los Angeles County DHS on the importance of cross-sector collaboration to strengthen child and family wellbeing. Attendees also heard a presentation on the current child and family wellbeing landscape in the Antelope Valley, participated in roundtable discussions, and helped identify future opportunities for investment, innovation, and partnership across the region. Guests received resources from the community and Baby2Baby and engaged in meaningful networking and conversation throughout the afternoon.
We are grateful to the Anthony Pritzker Family Foundation and The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation for supporting this event, and to All For Kids for providing Spanish interpretation. Watch the full event and read the brief below!
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UCLA Pritzker Center team members pictured outside of Xalisco, welcoming guests.
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Community members and partners across the Antelope Valley came together for an afternoon of collaboration, conversation, and connection.
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Valley Oasis Chief Executive Officer, Sarah Perry, and LA County DCFS Deputy Director, Lisa Whitecrow, sharing about the collaboration work on domestic violence in the Antelope Valley.
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UCLA Pritzker Center team members distributing toys and other resourced provided by Baby2Baby to guests for the families they serve.
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UCLA Pritzker Center team members pictured with A Sense of Home at the home creation.
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Building a future with A Sense of Home |
During National Foster Care Awareness Month, the UCLA Pritzker Center team had the opportunity to participate in a Home Creation with A Sense of Home, helping fully furnish a former foster youth's first-ever home for her and her family.
Supporting foster youth goes beyond awareness. It takes community, care, and action to help young people feel seen, supported, and at home. We’re grateful to partner with A Sense of Home and for the opportunity to support their incredible mission of preventing homelessness by creating homes and a community for youth aging out of the foster care system.
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Youth Mental Wellbeing: A Youth-Led Design Lab on Brain Health, the Arts & AI event |
The UCLA Pritzker Center had the privilege of attending the Youth Mental Wellbeing event, a youth led design lab on brain health, the arts, and AI, hosted by the UCLA Semel Institute. From youth-led panels to conversations on AI and the arts, we are so grateful to see advocates, policymakers, technologists, OpenAI Academy, and youth shaping real solutions for the future of mental wellbeing across the state.
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(L-R): UCLA Pritzker Center Executive Director, Taylor Dudley, UCLA Ed&IS Dean Tina Christie, and UCLA Pritzker Center Student Researchers Gifty Ayawvi and Isabella Reina.
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Presenting The Aftermath of the Eaton Fire at the UCLA School of Education & Information Studies Board of Visitors |
In 2025, the UCLA Pritzker Center received funding from the UCLA School of Education & Information Studies Dean Tina Christie to examine the impact of the Eaton Fire on students in foster care. Over the past year, the UCLA Pritzker Center conducted and shared findings from The Aftermath of the Eaton Fire: Foster Care and Education Disrupted, presenting the research in Altadena, Sacramento, and other community settings.
This month, UCLA Pritzker Center team members were invited to present the culmination of this work at the UCLA Ed&IS Board of Visitors meeting, highlighting key findings and takeaways, the external impact of the brief, and media coverage from the October event in Altadena. We are grateful to UCLA Ed&IS, the Anthony Pritzker Family Foundation, and The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation for their support of this work.
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UCLA Women & Philanthropy highlights the UCLA Pritzker Center in Spring newsletter |
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The UCLA Pritzker Center was recently featured in the UCLA Women & Philanthropy Spring Newsletter, highlighting the Center’s work to advance child and family wellbeing through research, partnership, and community engagement. The feature spotlights the importance of philanthropy and collaboration in supporting innovative solutions for children and families across Los Angeles County and beyond.
We are grateful to UCLA Women & Philanthropy for recognizing and supporting this work and for helping elevate conversations around prevention, equity, and systems change.
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UCLA Pritzker Center staff and students celebrate with Nancy Olivares and Ana Rivera following their recognition as UCLA Staff Assembly Scholarship recipients at the James West Alumni Center on campus.
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UCLA Pritzker Center staff receive UCLA Staff Assembly Scholarship Awards |
Congratulations to Ana Rivera, Operations and Admin Lead, and Nancy Olivares, Policy and Community Impact Director, on receiving UCLA Staff Assembly Scholarship awards! We are proud to celebrate Ana and Nancy's commitment to professional development and grateful for the dedication and expertise they both bring to the team each day.
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Staff and students came together for the UCLA Pritzker Center's annual Summer Send-Off honoring the Class of 2026.
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Celebrating our graduates |
The UCLA Pritzker Center gathered to celebrate and recognize our graduating students, Cristopher Espino, Olivia Gilchrist, Isabella Reina, and Laurencio Baker as they prepare for their next chapters. During our annual Summer Send-Off, staff and students reflected on the many learnings, contributions, accomplishments, and moments of growth shared throughout the years. We are grateful for the dedication and impact of our graduates and look forward to seeing all they will accomplish in the years ahead. Congratulations, Class of 2026!
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UCLA Undergraduate Research Week |
During UCLA Undergraduate Research Week, student researchers with the UCLA Pritzker Center presented three projects exploring child and family wellbeing across Los Angeles County. Presentations included The Aftermath of the Eaton Fire: Foster Care and Education Disrupted, 5 Years Forward: Progress and Partnership at the Intersection of Child Welfare and Domestic Violence, and A Case Study of FYI Housing Choice Vouchers in Los Angeles: The Experiences of Expectant and Parenting Young Adults. We are proud to support our students as they engage in research that advances public scholarship, equity, and community impact. Watch their presentations below!
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Presenters: Olivia Gilchrist, Isabella Reina, Miya Yamamoto
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| Presenters: Krisha Vyas, Cristopher Espino, Ellen Kim
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| Presenters: Isabella Reina, Olivia Gilchrist
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Patrosinio Cruz, Graduate Fellow, awarded Luskin Leadership Fellowship
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Congratulations to Patrosinio Cruz, one of our graduate students, on his Luskin Leadership Fellowship! Patrosinio is a first-year Dual Degree Master of Social Welfare (MSW) and Masters in Public Policy (MPP) graduate student at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, concentrating on Educational Policy, Community Well-being, and Social Welfare, and will be interning with the Los Angeles County Office of Child, Youth, and Family Wellbeing starting this summer.
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| The UCLA Pritzker Center research brief, The Aftermath of the Eaton Fire: Foster Care and Education Disrupted, was referenced in this commentary piece by Jerell Hill on LA School Report.
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| Allana Martinez found community, mentorship and purpose through UCLA’s Bruin Guardian Scholars program. |
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The Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA curated a YouTube Kids playlist featuring authentic, strengths-based stories from young people who have been impacted by the foster care system. |
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© 2025 UCLA Pritzker Center for Strengthening Children and Families. All Rights Reserved.
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