Dear Friends,

At UCLA, there is an air of excitement every October—the fall term is in full swing, football games are lighting up the Rose Bowl, and new student researchers join our team. Yet, alongside this energy, we remain mindful of the realities so many families are facing. Some are afraid to attend medical appointments due to heightened immigration enforcement. Others are struggling to put food on the table as the government shutdown continues. And still, many are displaced, rebuilding their lives in the wake of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires—a topic we recently covered at our event in Altadena. Mindful of these contrastig circumstances, we bring you our news with the hope that it moves you—to get involved, to lend a hand, and to keep going! Thank you for your support. 

In community,

The UCLA Pritzker Center Team

Research

On October 29, 2025, the UCLA Pritzker Center for Strengthening Children and Families hosted an event at the Altadena Community Center to announce the release of our brief, The Aftermath of the Eaton Fire: Foster Care and Education Disrupted.

Findings revealed the importance of post-fire recovery support and services in preventing foster care entries and reentries, the importance of upholding the educational rights of children in foster care, the continued need for targeted mental health and academic supports, and the vital role of professionals who bridge the child welfare and education systems, and revealed the need for tailored support to assist older youth in care, including non-minor dependents, with navigating postsecondary transitions, and rebuilding progress toward educational and professional goals.

Special thank you to Los Angeles County 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger and DCFS Director, Brandon Nichols for joining us at the event. Thank you to our panel, Jim Newton, Joe Ford, Alex Ballantyne, and our research team, Dr. Ivy Zucaya, Dr. Laura Liévano-Karim, and Olivia Gilchrist for an insightful discussion of the report.

Launched in 2023, Los Angeles County’s Helping Our Parents Excel (HOPE) Court strives to be culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and deeply embedded within the community to address the unique needs of families in Compton and Carson, California. Recently, the Honorable Judge Ashley Price engaged the UCLA Pritzker Center for Strengthening Children and Families to conduct an evaluation of the program.

Our study aims to 1) describe the core components of the HOPE Court, Los Angeles County’s specialized dependency court for infants and toddlers; 2) document challenges, strengths, and opportunities to sustain and strengthen the program; and 3) identify trauma-informed practices and culturally responsive strategies embedded within HOPE Court 

proceedings; and 4) determine whether the program is achieving its intended effects among children and families.

Events

Join Angela Tucker and Marissa Jo Cerar for an unforgettable evening amplifying adoptee voices and perspectives. Rewriting the Script: Adoptees Take the Mic is more than a conversation—it’s a movement. In a safe and supportive space, adoptees will share stories that challenge stereotypes, break open long-held narratives, and celebrate the power of lived experience.

This event is your chance to listen, learn, and be inspired. Whether you’re connected to adoption personally or simply curious about the power of authentic storytelling, you’ll leave with new insights about belonging, identity, and creativity.

Don’t miss this evening of truth-telling, artistry, and transformation.

Join us for a Book Talk with Author Dr. Wendy Smith facilitated by Dr. Eraka Bath. Before Their Crimes: What We're Misunderstanding about Childhood Trauma, Youth Crime, and the Path to Healing sheds new light on the relationship of childhood trauma and juvenile crime. Wendy Smith uses the framework of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) to explain how the toxic stress of early childhood trauma can make children vulnerable to committing criminal acts. Smith draws from interviews with twenty men and women from across the racial and social divide who spent years in prison after committing serious crimes as children.

Refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP by November 13. For any questions, please email Taylor Dudley at dudley@gseis.ucla.edu.

This December, the UCLA Pritzker Center will be distributing jackets for children in the Antelope Valley community!

In the season of giving, we invite you to donate a new children's jacket. Your support can make a difference for children and families in need!

Shop our Amazon Wish List or contact us to deliver a jacket by by December 5, 2025. Contact Taylor Dudley with questions at dudley@gseis.ucla.edu. 

In the Community

On October 17th, our team attended the UCLA Alumni Changemakers 2025 event — Radical Kinship in Action: A Day at Homeboy Industries, a half-day immersive event exploring what it means to lead with compassion, accountability and radical kinship.

Homeboy Industries is the world’s largest gang rehabilitation and reentry program. Launched in 1988 by Father Gregory Boyle, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit has evolved from a single goal of helping former gang members to find jobs into a national model of healing and community transformation.

The UCLA Changemakers gathering will allowed attendees to experience Homeboy’s work firsthand and to engage with UCLA alumni and Homeboy staff who are leading change from within the organization.

Our team joined nonprofit and philanthropic leaders for Courage & Collaboration: The Shrinking Safety Net—A Coordinated Response from Nonprofits & Philanthropy, hosted by the Children’s Institute. The convening brought together foundations, funders, and nonprofit organizations to exchange ideas, share challenges, and co-create impactful solutions that expand opportunities for children, families, and communities across Los Angeles. 

We were honored to nominate Jacqueline Herrera, a domestic violence survivor and Hopeline Parent Partner with Los Angeles Dependency Lawyers, for the Domestic Violence Council's 2025 Breaking Silence Survivor Activist Award. 

In partnership with the UCLA Pritzker Center, Jacqueline has been a powerful advocate for transforming how child welfare systems respond to domestic violence. Drawing on her lived experience, she has influenced policy, research, and public understanding to promote trauma-informed approaches that keep families safely together. Through her leadership and contributions to reports, media, and policy discussions, she continues to shift narratives and drive meaningful reform. 

On Campus

As a member of the UCLA Pritzker Center Leadership Team, Professor Franke was recognized for his distinguished career dedicated to improving how social service, education, and health systems respond to children and families.  Over his 30+ year career at UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs, Dr. Franke has led influential research across child welfare, education, juvenile justice, and mental health—securing significant research funding and advancing data-driven solutions through predictive analytics, machine learning, and large-scale evaluation projects. Professor Franke’s career has been marked by a steadfast commitment to mentoring countless students who now carry forward his vision. Professor Franke will continue to share his expertise and presence with the UCLA community, contributing to ongoing research and mentorship efforts that reflect his lifelong dedication to service and learning.

First Star’s Lunch and Learn featured Faculty Director Dr. Tyrone Howard, whose inspiring keynote address emphasized the urgency of strengthening support systems for youth in care across Los Angeles County and California. Executive Director Taylor Dudley shared the UCLA Pritzker Center's work. The event, centered on College and Career Readiness, also included an engaging panel featuring Undergraduate Student Research Assistant, Cristopher Espino and cross-sector experts, highlighting innovative strategies and best practices to support youth as they prepare for their futures.

Students

As the 2025-2026 school year begins, we are excited to introduce our growing student team! We welcome our new team members—three undergraduates: Ellen Kim, Krisha Vyas, Miya Yamamoto; MSW student, Laurencio Baker; clinical psychology graduate student, Gifty Ayawvi; social welfare doctoral student, Juan Nunez.

Our team comes from a wide range of disciplines, including social work, education and social transformation, political science and communications. Together, this group will bring fresh perspectives and skills that will strengthen our work. We look forward to the impact they will have as we learn and grow together.

In the News

"The devastating Eaton Fire displaced thousands of people in Altadena, including children in foster care.

In fact, Altadena houses the most foster care children in one area in the entire county."

"The 2025 Eaton Fire and its aftermath compounded existing educational challenges for children and youth involved with the child welfare system across Altadena, Pasadena and Sierra Madre, disrupting educational continuity and exacerbating instability in their lives, according to a new research brief by the UCLA Pritzker Center for Children and Families."

"The Eaton fire in January impacted 225 dependent children, 60% of whom are Latino and 44% of whom relied on either a permanent placement or extended foster care services, a newly published report from the UCLA Pritzker Center for Strengthening Children and Families found."

Inspo & Ideas

The suspension of programs like SNAP (known as CalFresh in California) and WIC could leave 1.5 million LA-area families, seniors, students, and unpaid federal workers without the vital food support they rely on to survive. Share these resources with your community to help families put food on the table in the days ahead.

Our team always looks to Homeboy Industries for inspiration, and their new podcast delivers! The Homeboy Way Podcast invites listeners into stories of healing, kinship, and transformation. Hosted by Tom Vozzo, former CEO of Homeboy Industries, alongside Father Greg Boyle and illuminating guests, the show explores what happens when people are seen, cherished, and given space to heal.

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

Manage your preferences | Opt Out using TrueRemove™
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.

10945 Le Conte Ave Suites 1350-55 | Los Angeles, CA 90024 US

This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.