The Alliance for Children’s Rights (ACR) is a left-of-center nonprofit organization that provides legal services to youth and families involved with child welfare and juvenile justice systems in Los Angeles County. ¹

ACR supports equity and justice for foster youth in the state of California and has supported state bills AB12, which would extend the age of foster care to 21; AB 260, which would align probate and dependency courts to protect parents and children; and SB 354, which would allow more foster youth to be placed with kin and non-kin foster parents who possess criminal records. ²

Founding and History

In 1992, the founding executive director of Alliance for Children’s Rights was Pamela Mohr, and the first president of the board of directors was Francis M. Wheat, along with vice president Barbara Reeves and treasurer Paul Boland. ³

As of 2000, ACR co-created National Adoption Day with the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, and Children’s Action Network to raise awareness of over 100,000 children reported to be waiting to have their adoption finalized. ⁴

As of 2016, ACR had hosted annual dinners that included major TV and film stars such as Seth MacFarlane, Ryan Murphy, Julie Bowen, Terry Crews, Trai Byers, and John Stamos, as well as the co-chairs and CEOs of Fox Television Group, Dana Walden and Gary Newman. During the dinner event, the National Champions for Children Award is awarded to celebrity attendees who have donated to charities providing services to foster youth. ⁵

In 2022, Los Angeles County families, judicial officers from the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, attorneys from the Alliance for Children’s Rights, and officials from the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services celebrated National Adoption Day, finalizing the adoption of 136 children. ⁶

Funding

In 2023, Alliance for Children’s Rights reported revenue of $10,720,432 and expenses of $8,431,491 with reported contributions amounting to $10,408,690. ⁷

ACR as of 2022 has received grants from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation  ⁸ and the Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund totaling to $1,600,000 and $1,276,000, respectively. ⁹

In 2015, during the Alliance for Children’s Rights Dinner, the gala raised over $1.1 million, with attendee Dick Wolf, the producer of the “Law & Order” television franchise, making a $25,000 contribution to ACR that evening. ¹⁰

Leadership

As of 2023, Jennifer Braun is the president and CEO of the Alliance for Children’s Rights. She had previously worked as an assistant U.S. trustee with the United States Trustee Program of the Department of Justice, as a supervising attorney at Bet Tzedek Legal Services, and in private practice at a firm specializing in labor and employment. ¹¹

1. “Homepage.” Alliance for Children’s Rights, March 14, 2024. https://allianceforchildrensrights.org/.
2. “Policy and Systemic Reform.” Alliance for Children’s Rights. Accessed May 9, 2024. https://allianceforchildrensrights.org/policy/.
3. “Our History.” Alliance for Children’s Rights. Accessed May 10, 2024. https://allianceforchildrensrights.org/history/.
4. “National Adoption Day.” Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, March 22, 2024. https://www.davethomasfoundation.org/our-programs/national-adoption-day/#:~:text=A%20coalition%20of%20national%20partners,Network%20%E2%80%94%20founded%20National%20Adoption%20Day.
5. McClendon, Lamarco. “John Stamos, Seth Macfarlane Honor Fox’s Dana Walden, Gary Newman at Alliance for Children’s Rights Dinner.” Variety, March 11, 2016. https://variety.com/2016/scene/vpage/dana-walden-gary-newman-john-stamos-seth-macfarlane-alliance-for-childrens-rights-dinner-1201728148/.
6. “Home.” Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, November 22, 2022. https://dcfs.lacounty.gov/more-than-130-children-adopted-in-l-a-county-on-national-adoption-day/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=more-than-130-children-adopted-in-l-a-county-on-national-adoption-day.
7. Andrea Suozzo, Alec Glassford. “Alliance for Childrens Rights – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica, May 9, 2013. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/954358213.
8. Suozzo, Andrea, Alec Glassford, Ash Ngu, and Brandon Roberts. “Conrad N Hilton Foundation, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica, May 9, 2013. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/943100217/202343199349103139/full.
9. Suozzo, Andrea, Alec Glassford, Ash Ngu, and Brandon Roberts. “Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica, May 9, 2013. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/311774905/202312859349302266/full.
10. Washington, Arlene. “Eric Garcetti, J.K. Simmons Attend Alliance for Children’s Rights Dinner.” The Hollywood Reporter, April 29, 2023. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/eric-garcetti-jk-simmons-attend-781323/.
11. Jennifer L. Braun – Alliance for children’s rights | linkedin. Accessed May 10, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-l-braun-291605245/.