Congratulations 2010 Alliance Graduates!

Despite the hardships, this has been an inspiring year: we've had a record number of youth graduate high school or college and we want to celebrate their remarkable achievements. Foster youth face insurmountable challenges in pursuing higher education with little support to help them through it, which is why less than 4% graduate from college. We are working to change that statistic and our exceptional youth are leading the way:

Roshell Davis, B.A., Cal State Northridege, Jessica Chandler, A.A., El Camino College (starts CSUN this fall), Tafari Gonzalez-Aird (pictured wtih Alliance President Janis Spire), A.A., L.A. Valley College (starts Cal State Fullerton this fall as a Guardian Scholar), Katrina Walker, B.A., Spellman University, Brandon Thorson, B.A., UCLA, Selenda Gomez, B.A., Cal State Fullerton (Guardian Scholar), and special high school graduates Fernando and Charlisa.  CLICK HERE for a photo slideshow of the graduations!

Donate in honor of a graduate you know! Click here to donate online or call Joelle at (213) 368-6010x115, j.warren-lane@kids-alliance.org

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Collaboration Creates Family: Bryan's Adoption

Bryan and his sisters were just a week away from their adoption out of foster care when he got in trouble for tagging. Bryan was subsequently sentenced to a probation camp, and his two sisters, though devastated, were adopted without him. Bryan and his sisters had grown up with an unstable mom who battled addiction.  Fortunately, she had a caring boyfriend who was willing to take in all the kids in order to keep them together after they were removed from their mother. A single dad, Jaime adopted the two girls and stuck with Bryan through the ups and downs of his time in the juvenile delinquency system.

The Alliance, Children's Services and the Juvenile Probation Department worked with the family to make sure they had the services they needed to heal and get a fresh start, including helping them move to a safer neighborhood and getting Bryan into a smaller, safer high school. On April 22, just weeks before his 18th birthday, Jaime adopted Bryan, his sisters by his side, in a moving ceremony at the juvenile probation court. Bryan’s story is a testament to the happy endings that are possible when departments, agencies and families all work together to make sure that kids in the system get the home they deserve.  Click for Bryan's adoption slideshow!

CLICK HERE for Sandy Banks' L.A. TIMES Column on the family

Summer Adoption Day: FRIDAY JULY 30, 2010 – contact Joelle at j.warren-lane@kids-alliance.org for volunteer opportunities

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Youth Council Spreads Foster Care Awareness

Our Youth Council has been busy with advocacy efforts, including screenings and discussions of their  documentaries at Southwestern Law School, the California Community College state-wide Foster Youth Success Initiative trainings, and the ACLU. On May 18th we had a special screening event in honor of foster care awareness month at USC. 

Leslie Gilbert-Lurie moderated a productive, engaging discussion between prominent education panelists – Angela Bass, Superintendent of the Partnership for L.A. Schools, Winston Doby, retired Vice Chancellor of UCLA, and Rudy Castruida, Professor of Education at USC – and our youth panel about the barriers foster youth face in achieving higher education and the need for reform efforts. 

Click Here for a Slideshow of this event

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Welcome Bicycle® Playing Cards as New Sponsor

We had a fantastic time celebrating Bicycle’s 125th Anniversary at an evening of cards, kids, fun and families (Sex & the City's Willie Garson and son Nathen pictured playing a game of HEARTS)! CLICK HERE to check out the Bicycle Cards on facebook and enjoy a photo album of the event.

We are pleased to announce that Bicycle® Playing Cards will present the 7th Annual “All-in” for Kids” No-Limit Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament held at the Commerce Casino, on Sunday, October 17th, 2010 at 12:30pm. Come join the fun and the competition! Training tables will be available as all playing levels are welcome. For more information or sponsorship information, please contact Joelle at j.warren-lane@kids-alliance.org  or 213-368-6010 x115.
 

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