Friends and Supporters,

I’m reaching out today because I’m so thankful for your support and partnership last year. Whether you joined us as an ally, donor, pro bono lawyer or other partner, you’ve helped us meet the needs of DC children and families during another challenging year.

In 2021, the work we do grew more complicated. The pandemic wore on – creating setbacks for the children and families we serve across all areas of our work: family, health and education. This was on top of stark racial and ethnic disparities already laid bare by the crisis.

Where these problems intersect and exacerbate one another, it can be an incredibly complex puzzle to face alone. When Ms. Bowen reached out to us, she was trying to secure stable, healthy housing close to Children’s National so that her daughter Deveah could get the intensive care she needed. However, each new home available had mold and pest infestations that made Deveah’s health problems worse.

We stepped in to help her solve some of the most urgent issues but, as you’ll read, our work with Ms. Bowen isn't finished. Solving complex problems takes time, tenacity and creative approaches while keeping an eye on the big picture.

Throughout our 2021 Annual Report, you’ll meet more children and families like Deveah and Ms. Bowen and see how we are working with them to solve their puzzles. You’ll also learn more about our advocacy efforts to support students as they transitioned back to in-person learning and our ongoing work to provide stability and support for DC kids in foster care. And you’ll meet our 2021 Champions for Children winners!

READ OUR 2021 HIGHLIGHTS

Many of you celebrated our 25th anniversary with us last year. It was incredible to look back on how much the District’s support for our kids has changed because advocates, families and supporters had the audacity to help us take on these complex challenges. Since our founding, we’ve changed the lives of 40,000 children and their families and impacted hundreds of thousands more.

As we look to our next 25 years, there’s still much to be done. We will continue to evolve to meet the needs of DC children and families and adapt our work to make the biggest difference.

I am honored to work with so many tenacious advocates who bring their best puzzle-solving skills to help DC kids and families tackle their most complicated challenges, and I’m so grateful that you’re a part of this community. On behalf of everyone at Children’s Law Center, I look forward to accomplishing more together in 2022 and beyond.

With gratitude,

Judith Sandalow

Executive Director

P.S. Mark your calendars! Hold the evening of Tuesday, September 20, 2022 as we celebrate in person our tremendous work together over the past year. More details will be shared in the coming weeks.

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