If you have a few minutes . . .
Donate to EBCLO–your donation will be #matchedinMay!
Designate EBCLO as the charity to receive .5% of your Amazon purchases.
Watch a short video to learn about California Youth Connection–a youth led legislative advocacy organization supporting foster youth.
Follow EBCLO on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
If you are a parent of a child with mental health needs in CA (whether in foster care or not), take this brief survey to help us educate California’s parents and caregivers.
Shop at Sports Basement and designate EBCLO as your Basementeer beneficiary.

If you have a couple hours . . .
Join us at Friday’s Child premier on May 7 from 7:30-9 at Century Theater in Hayward for a movie about a former foster youth.
Write to Governor Newsom in support of full funding statewide for dependency counsel–ask him for a $70 million increase in the 2019-20 budget.
Watch Foster–a new HBO documentary about children in LA’s child welfare system premiering May 7.

Even more time?
Become a mentor and advocate for foster youth through CASA. Click here to volunteer in Alameda County and click here for CASA opportunities around the country.
Become a foster parent. Too many of our clients are placed too far from their communities–help us fix that.

Although we regret Ms. Becker’s departure, the Board of Directors is delighted to announce the appointment of co-founder and former Managing Attorney, Kristin Mateer, as EBCLO’s new Executive Director effective April 23, 2018. Ms. Mateer, a certified Child Welfare Law Specialist, has devoted her legal career to improving the quality of legal representation and services for children and youth in Alameda County’s superior court systems. In 1998, after completing a post-law-school judicial clerkship, Ms. Mateer became a Dependency Attorney with the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office where she gained the reputation of being an intelligent, hard-working, vigorous advocate for indigent parents and children in child welfare proceedings. When the Public Defender’s Office discontinued dependency practice in 2009, Ms. Mateer became a co-founder of EBCLO where she was instrumental in establishing EBCLO’s holistic representation practice on every level. Her duties included securing state funding, developing EBCLO’s organizational structure and by-laws, hiring attorneys, social workers and administrative staff, locating office space, and developing a comprehensive benefits package for EBCLO employees. As Managing Attorney, Ms. Mateer expanded EBCLO’s scope of practice to include court-appointed representation of children in probate guardianship proceedings and has directed that practice since 2010. While managing the probate practice, carrying a personal caseload including both dependency and probate clients, supervising staff attorneys, and working with other executive team members to maintain all aspects of EBCLO’s organizational structure, Ms. Mateer also developed and ran EBCLO’s individual giving campaigns, and produced EBCLO’s Annual Report. Outside of EBCLO, Ms. Mateer finds time to be involved in numerous community activities, including serving as CASA Advisory Board Chair since 2011, and volunteering extensively at her daughters’ elementary school. The Board fully expects Ms. Mateer to lead EBCLO brilliantly for many years to come.

– Kathy Siegel, EBCLO Board chair person

The Judicial Council hosted former EBCLO client and his adoptive parents when they proclaimed that November is Court Adoption and Permanency Month.  The Rockafellows’ ten minute presentation celebrates their new family, the tireless advocacy of Drew’s EBCLO attorney, Rob Waring, and even suggests they want to do it again.

To read more about the presentation please click here.

East Bay Children’s Law Offices is part of a Mental Health Services Oversight & Accountability Committee grant working with parents & caregivers statewide to improve services and support families and strengthen the voices of parents and caregivers in the process.  Are you a caregiver?  Please fill out this survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/EBCLO-PC4W

If you are interested in getting more involved, please contact Jessie Conradi at Jessie.Conradi@ebclo.org.

If you are an insomniac or would just love to help your money go even further, help us win a $3000 prize from East Bay Community Foundation by helping us get the most unique donations between 1 and 2 am on May 4th. Unfortunately, these donations cannot be scheduled in advance, but we’ll send out some reminders to set your alarm clock!

Last year, East Bay Gives successfully rallied over 8,000 donors to raise more than $1 million for nonprofits like ours that make the East Bay region a special place to live, work and thrive. In 2017, East Bay Gives aims to mobilize more than 40,000 people to give $5 million to support hundreds of nonprofits in the East Bay, Silicon Valley, and San Francisco.

Join the fun and help us secure all $22,500 in matching dollars!

We need your help.  We are often asked how we do this work that we love.  It’s never been easy–and now it’s even harder.  We are inviting you to join in the work with us by providing the financial support we need to keep our doors open.  Our mission is to provide top notch holistic legal services to the most vulnerable children in our community.  Our clients are not someone else’s children; they are all of our children.  We invite you to contribute $18/month because we have lost $18,000/month.  Our hope is that with partners like you sharing in our mission, we will be able to continue to provide a strong voice for the children and youth we serve.  Thank you for your support.

Click here to read the study: On Balance– The Courts and Child Welfare

How does this affect EBCLO?  Starting September 1, 2016, we are receiving $17,946.18 less from the State of California each month.  Want to help make up the difference?  Donate on our website today!