Marcellia Goodrich

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors created a new office to address the high number of African American and LGBTQ youth in the county’s child welfare system. A new Office of Equity within the county’s Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) aims to stem the overrepresentation of these youth in foster care and address the disparities these communities experience.

Three decades ago, a group of foster youth who wanted to drive like average teenagers came together to fight for the right to obtain driver’s licenses.  When these teens founded California Youth Connection in 1988, it was the only foster care advocacy organization led by youth themselves.