Center for Children's Advocacy

Thank you to the CT Bar Foundation for highlighting this important work and for supporting legal advocacy that expands access, equity, and opportunity for LGBTQ+ youth.

CCA is proud of the work led by former Singer Fellow and Staff Attorney Mallory James Sanchez through our LGBTQ+ Youth Advocacy Project. The project provides legal advocacy, education, and systems-change efforts to help LGBTQ+ youth access affirming health care, safe and supportive schools, stable housing, and the protections they are entitled to under the law. Through partnerships with organizations including Anchor Health, Yale Child Study Center, and the New Haven Pride Center, the project brings legal support directly to young people where they are.

To elevate the post below, CCA’s LGBTQ+ Youth Advocacy Project is also the only program in Connecticut providing focused legal consultation and representation for transgender youth.

Happy Pride Month! 🌈

Happy !

Did you know that in 1991 Connecticut became the third state in the nation to pass comprehensive legislation protecting le***an and gay civil rights? This movement was the culmination of both personal and political power struggles that have continued to this day.

CBF is proud to help fund organizations that help the LGBTQIA+ community with various legal issues. For example:

In 2025, the Singer Fellowship, which CBF administers, was awarded to Attorney Kaceylee Klein at The Center for Family Justice. Attorney Klein works to expand trauma-informed, client-centered legal services to LGBTQ+ individuals with limited financial resources in Eastern Fairfield County.

CT Fair Housing Center represents LGBTQIA+ members in housing cases and has created a variety of resources for the community that educates them on their rights and helps protect them from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The Center for Children’s Advocacy also has a Singer Fellow, Mallory James Sanchez, who established an LGBTQ+ youth advocacy program, the only one in the state providing focused free legal consultation and representation for transgender youth.

Thirty years ago, the Connecticut Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in Sheff v. O’Neill, affirming that Hartford students have a right to substantially equal educational opportunities in desegregated settings.

On July 9, advocates, alumni, and community leaders will gather to commemorate the 30th anniversary of this historic civil rights victory and reflect on both the progress made and the work that remains.

CCA’s founder and special counsel, Martha Stone, played a leading role in the original litigation, and today, CCA continues that legacy by working to ensure Sheff’s promises are fulfilled in practice.

Join us as we celebrate 30 years of advocacy, opportunity, and educational equity.

📅 July 9, 2026
📍 Goodwin University, East Hartford

Space is limited. Please RSVP: https://bit.ly/4avxJeL

The school-to-prison pipeline continues to disproportionately impact Black and Brown students, multilingual students, LGBTQ+ students, and students with disabilities across Connecticut.

At the Dismantling Systemic Racism Conference hosted by the State Education Resource Center (SERC), Nieka Thompson, Director of CCA's Racial Justice Project, and Zoe Masters, CCA School Justice Project staff attorney, presented on data-driven collaboration, outreach, and legal advocacy aimed at addressing these disparities.

Their session highlighted racial and ethnic and other disparities in school discipline, arrests, detention, and incarceration across Connecticut communities, as well as CCA’s ongoing work inside Manson Youth Institution, a correctional facility run by the CT Department of Corrections that houses boys under age 18 and up to age 21.

Addressing the school-to-prison pipeline requires collaboration, accountability, and a commitment to ensuring all young people have access to safe, supportive, and equitable educational environments.

🎉 Spring for Kids! 2026 is tonight!

Can't join us in person?

You can still be part of Spring for Kids! by participating in our Silent Auction. From sports tickets and weekend getaways to family experiences and unique local treasures, every winning bid supports the Center for Children’s Advocacy's work protecting the legal rights of Connecticut's low-income children.

🔗 The auction closes at 7:45pm this evening, so get your bids in now! https://secure.qgiv.com/event/sfk2026auction/items/

As we prepare to gather tomorrow for Spring for Kids! 2026, we want to take a moment to thank the incredible sponsors whose generosity helps make this event, and CCA’s work throughout the year, possible.

We are deeply grateful to our sponsors: thank you for helping ensure children and families across Connecticut have access to the support, services, and opportunities they deserve. Thank you for your partnership, your leadership, and your commitment to ensuring every child has a voice.

Because of their support, the Center for Children’s Advocacy can continue fighting for the legal rights of CT’s vulnerable children.

❤️ We look forward to celebrating with them and with all of our guests at Spring for Kids! tomorrow!

PRESENTING SPONSORS
Dalio Education
Options Employment and Educational Services, LLC and CARE of Connecticut, Inc.
Shipman & Goodwin LLP

CHAMPION SPONSOR
The Village for Families & Children

LEAD SPONSORS
Hartford HealthCare
Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder, PC
Perkins Coie LLP
Pullman & Comley, LLC
Wiggin and Dana LLP

[Sponsors continued below]

🎉 Support Connecticut’s children while bidding on unforgettable experiences!

The Spring for Kids! Silent Auction features everything from VIP sports tickets and family adventures to wine tastings, weekend getaways, handcrafted items, and more.

Every winning bid directly supports the Center for Children’s Advocacy’s mission-driven work fighting for the legal rights of Connecticut’s low-income children.

⚖️ Your participation helps power CCA’s advocacy for children and youth navigating the foster care, juvenile justice, education, healthcare, and immigration systems.

Whether you’re bidding at Spring for Kids! or from your couch, you can make a lasting impact!

🔗 Browse the auction & place your bids today: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/sfk2026auction/items

We can’t believe it - Spring for Kids! is this WEDNESDAY! ⏰

Event highlights include:

✨ Celebrating our 2026 Champions of Children, Beth Bye and Judy McBride, and 2026 Sustainability Award honoree, Preston Tisdale

✨ A performance by the Hartford Youth Chorus

✨ A tribute to Connecticut’s foster parents

✨ Powerful perspectives from CCA’s Immigrant Children’s Justice and Speak Up! projects

✨ A cocktail reception, casual fare, and curated silent auction

🎟️ There’s still time to get your tickets: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/centerforchildrensadvocacy/event/springforkids2026/

Can’t attend in person? You can still support CCA’s mission-driven work fighting for the legal rights of Connecticut’s low-income children through the Spring for Kids! Silent Auction:

⚾🍷⛷️ Bid on sports tickets, getaways, family experiences, wine tastings, and more: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/sfk2026auction/items/

Your next great experience could also help change a child’s life. ❤️

Every winning bid in the Spring for Kids! Silent Auction directly supports the Center for Children’s Advocacy’s legal services and advocacy for Connecticut children and families navigating challenges related to education, healthcare, foster care, juvenile justice, and immigration.

Bid on:
⚾ VIP sports experiences
🍷 Wine tastings & local dining
⛷️ Weekend getaways
🚂 Family adventures
🎨 Handmade & one-of-a-kind items

Whether you’re attending Spring for Kids! or supporting from home, you can make a meaningful impact! https://secure.qgiv.com/event/sfk2026auction/items

Thank you to our Guardian Sponsors of Spring for Kids! 2026 ✨

We are proud to recognize these valued corporate partners of the Center for Children’s Advocacy and our mission-driven work advocating for children and families across Connecticut.

Their generosity helps support CCA’s legal advocacy and systems-change efforts to ensure children have access to the education, healthcare, stability, and services they are legally entitled to.

Join us on June 3 at the Yard Goat Club at Dunkin’ Park as we celebrate our sponsors, the advocates, families, and community partners who show up for Connecticut’s children.

Get your tickets now: https://bit.ly/3N1Lv0e

Guardian Sponsors of Spring for Kids! 2026:

ABC Language Services
Ashcroft Inc.
Cheryl Chase and Stuart Bear Foundation
Connecticut State Department of Education
Empire Industries, Inc.
Chang and Ginny Kim
Martha Ritter
Terex Corporation
Tremont Public Advisors
Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut
Yale New Haven Health