Our new Executive Director, Carlos Marquez III knows the value of the social services county human service departments provide because he's experienced them first hand.

We are grateful to Gov. Gavin Newsom for proposing a budget that maintains the state’s commitment to core health and human service programs that help millions of Californians survive and thrive.

After 16 years with CWDA, our Deputy Executive Director Eileen Cubanski is retiring. She has done so much for our organization over the years and will be greatly missed. Here's to a happy retirement, Eileen!

We are pleased to announce our Executive Director Carlo Marquez III has been selected to serve on the California Child Welfare Council. His role on this pivotal council will help ensure our state's children are protected and well cared for.

“If you’re worried about where you’re going to sleep, how well do you show up? Even if you’re physically present, how well do you show up to learn in the classroom?”- CWDA's Eileen Cubanski on how the closure of FFAs could impact education. Read more:

CWDA would like to congratulate Jennifer Troia on her appointment as Director of the California Department of Social Services. We have worked in partnership with Jennifer in her past role as the department's Chief Deputy Director and we look forward to continued collaboration.

And that's a wrap on the #CWDA2024 conference! Thank you to all our attendees, presenters and speakers, you've made this an incredible event!

.@JasonReynolds83 says we should lead with humility, intimacy and gratitude. We shouldn't be afraid to humble ourselves in front of our kids and recognize that they care about things in a deeper way. #CWDA2024

.@JasonReynolds83 says once he and his older brother were pulled over while driving their mom's car and couldn't find the registration. His 46 year old brother started crying because he was scared about what was going to happen because of the experiences he'd had in the past.

.@JasonReynolds83 says the murder of George Floyd was the first time people believed black people are treated differently by the police. Says he's seen it his whole life and thousands of people have experienced it. #CWDA2024

.@JasonReynolds83 says his anxiety ramped up when he was a social worker in his 20's. He was having a lot of symptoms, had a lot of tests done and didn't find anything. His father, a psychologist, pointed out he was dealing with anxiety because he was empathetic to his clients.

.@JasonReynolds83 says we all have stuff we're dealing with and trying to manage. We shouldn't be ashamed of ours, it's normal. It doesn't make you small or less than. #CWDA2024

.@JasonReynolds83 says he's had anxiety all of his life and that we should normalize it. He says the truth is everyone a mix of things and that anxiety is a part of our humanity. Some people just have more, but it's nothing to be shamed for. #CWDA2024

At 17 @JasonReynolds83 had a teacher stress the importance of reading as a way to develop your brain. Says he discovered he didn't hate reading, he hated to be bored and a lot of the books you get in school are boring. @cwda20204

As a result, he didn't like reading books and turned instead to music and reading the liner notes. He realized how much the lyrics resembled poetry and it inspired him to write. #CWDA2024

@JasonReynolds83 says, growing up, he knew his neighborhood was ravaged by the crack cocaine epidemic, that people were dying of AIDs and that his brother was playing revolutionary music that adults didn't like. And the books he read at that time didn't reflect his experience.

.@JasonReynolds83 says his mom has been a big inspiration in his life. She laid some foundational rules that allowed him to be a free black boy. For instance she let him voice his opinion if he disagreed with her. Taught him not to be afraid to speak up as an adult. #CWDA2024

It's the last general session of the #CWDA2024 conference and we're thrilled to be hearing from @JasonReynolds83. The New York Times bestselling author started writing poetry at just nine years old and hasn’t stopped since.

Youth can help generate marketing strategies, meet with resource families to encourage them to foster older youth, and take part in related policy discussions. #CWDA2024

Youth who are recently out of care have a better idea of what current foster youth need vs adults who are at a different stage of life and may never had had first hand child welfare experience. #CWDA2024

The Youth Engagement Project works with counties to engage current or former foster youth on local projects designed to strengthen Child Welfare systems. These youth, called YEP Ambassadors, can engage with county coordinators in a variety of ways. #CWDA2024