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Mission

Dedicated to improving policies, education, training and services that reflect the best knowledge of families and children’s needs, and the real-life circumstances of 21st century children and families.

About Us

The California Alliance for Families and Children (CAFC) is a gender-neutral 501(c)(3) organization based in Sacramento, California. Here is our: EIN#201670964. We are dedicated to ensuring that children and family policies provide equal and fair treatment to all affected parties: men, women and children alike, regardless of their ethnic background, religion or sexual orientation. CAFC is an education and advocacy group with experts in the field of family law: attorneys and members of law enforcement; mental and medical health practitioners; financial and economic specialists; media and policy consultants and advocates.

CAFC is first and foremost an education and advocacy group, but we are also willing to take our fight to State and Federal courts. We work tirelessly to ensure that the education, research and policies  affecting children and families are balanced, fair and just. We are recognized as one of the most successful  children and parent rights groups in the nation.

CAFC does not represent any subset of competing interests other than the welfare of children and families. In recent decades, the politics affecting families and children has become intertwined with gender politics. In our practices and research, we work equally with women and mothers, men and fathers, and children from all walks of life. We are not a mothers' rights group or a fathers' rights group; rather, our focus is on the well-being of the next generation.

Why education and advocacy? Because it is easier, cheaper and more effective to change the law and policy through education for all than to fight individual battles in court and legislatures. Furthermore, decision makers  respond to those who are producing cutting edge evidence based research and educational training programs coupled with a full time policy advisor team. The California Alliance for Families and Children recognizes these fundamental truths.

Despite our short existence (beginning in early 2004), CAFC's accomplishments have already achieved important reforms affecting families and children. Our educational outreach and presence has allowed us to tell the other side of the story, creating a more balanced and equitable public policy for all.

In addition to education and advocacy, CAFC further promotes and supports the need for specific changes in the current adversarial process for child custody and issue resolution in divorce cases. This contentious process is very often detrimental to children and families, so we strongly advocate for the use of conflict reduction reforms, such as California's recently enacted Collaborative Family Law Act. CAFC also strongly supports the need to keep both parents actively involved in their children's lives. We believe that both parents should have substantial custody share absent a compelling finding of harm to the children.

It is our Mission to. . .

Reduce Domestic and Family Violence

  • Produce evidenced based research and educational training conferences and materials with the latest and most accurate peer reviewed data and research to improve prevention, assessment and treatment programs for all domestic violence victims and there children
  • Facilitate educational workshops for judges, mediators,  court personnel, law enforcement, practitioners and treatment providers
  • Collaborate and work directly with the worlds most respected and peer reviewed experts in the field
  • Draft  and propose state policy improvement recommendations

Advocate for fairness and equality in family and juvenile courts

  • Draft  and propose state policy improvement recommendations
  • Submit amicus briefs in cases involving equality and fairness
  • Facilitate educational workshops for judges, mediators, and court personnel

Advocate for conflict reduction reforms

  • Provide current information regarding Collaborative Practice
  • Provide information to the Judicial Council Administrative Office of the Court
  • Work directly with Center for Families, Children & the Courts (CFCC) liaisons to help improve outreach on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
  • Collaborate and work with mental health and family law experts to reduce post- separation conflict for the well being of children

Advocate for joint custody and co-parenting

  • Prepare and distribute policy documents explaining co-parenting and joint custody benefits supported by the most recent evidence-based studies and data
  • Collaborate with some of the most respected and peer-reviewed experts in the field to ensure the accuracy of information
  • Outreach to judges, mediators, attorneys, other family law practitioners and the public by holding training and educational conferences

The California Alliance for Families & Children was founded in 2004 by Michael Robinson and Paul Stroub. Mr. Robinson is the CAFC's Executive Director and chief policy consultant in Sacramento and his efforts have been instrumental in placing California in the forefront of children and family policy reforms. A diverse group of experts makes up CAFC's Advisory Committee, which provides direction and input to the group's efforts. With your active support, we believe that the California Alliance for Families and Children can make a huge difference. Read more about our officers, advisory members and founders.