The Children’s Legacy Theatre in Washington, D.C. was founded in 2016 by Jackie Carter to serve local youth facing challenges including placement in foster care, criminal justice involvement, or early parenthood. Carter, who experienced foster care herself as a youth, is now creating a legacy for 150 children annually who are trained to perform and work at a theatre. Zacaria Manigault, a 15-year-old student in the program, says: “I have always known I wanted to be an actress. This organization has allowed me to open more doors.” The Children’s Legacy Theatre was recently awarded the Kennedy Center social impact award, and the full 2025 theatre season will be at D.C.’s famed Kennedy Center.

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UC Berkeley School of Law is set to debut the West Coast’s first Family Defense Clinic in 2025 or 2026, offering law students hands-on experience defending parents at risk of losing their children to state intervention. The clinic aims to fill critical gaps in legal services, providing holistic support beyond court-appointed representation, addressing needs like record expungement and access to social services. Through a semester-long seminar on child welfare policies and supervised fieldwork, students will advocate for clients facing challenges such as trauma, substance abuse, and systemic biases. The initiative builds on the success of the existing Family Defense Project, which has trained students in parent advocacy and exposed inequities in the child welfare system. This innovative program is poised to empower future lawyers while supporting vulnerable families in crisis.



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The Catherine Cutler Institute at the University of Southern Maine has received a record $21 million grant from the Children’s Bureau to enhance Tribal child welfare services. Over the next five years, the project aims to assist tribes with improving and enhancing child welfare services that are aligned with Tribal customs, traditions and beliefs. “This transformative grant reflects our commitment to advancing Tribal sovereignty and creating meaningful change in Tribal child welfare systems,” said Sarah Nelson, a co-project director and co-principal investigator at the institute and part of the Sault Tribe of Chippewa.

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Since 2000, the nonprofit Tulsa Lawyers for Children has focused its efforts on providing pro bono legal representation to vulnerable children. However, the organization is now expanding its impact through a new initiative called Connection Crates, which aims to reduce the trauma associated with child-parent separation in foster care. In anticipation of its launch, Executive Director Kalan Chapman Lloyd discussed the project’s goal of “neutral bridging” for children aged 0 to 3. Based on trauma-informed practice, this will be achieved through a sensory crate with items such as books featuring the parent’s voice and items carrying their scent. With a plan to begin distributing the crates this month, Chapman Llyod views the work as creating “immense potential for hope.”

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Treehouse, a Seattle-based nonprofit, is dedicated to creating opportunities for young people in foster care to thrive. This is achieved through service delivery focused on investing in the educational and emotional needs of youth currently or formerly in foster care to promote academic equity. As a recipient of the organization’s services, Ericka Mickelson describes the important role that Treehouse played in her journey from foster care to a career in photography. She says, “Treehouse bought me my first camera and lens, and I still use it today,” as well as financially supported her through tuition-assistance when she moved out-of-state to attend school in New York. With Treehouse specialists supporting Mickelson through all her major milestones, she knows the significant impact that community can have on an individual’s life.

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