East Bay Children's Law Offices

What East Bay Children's Law Offices does

East Bay Children's Law Offices (EBCLO) is a nonprofit legal services organization founded in 2009 in Oakland, California, that provides court-appointed legal representation to children and youth in the Alameda County foster care system. Co-founded by Roger Chan, Kristin Mateer, and Joy Ricardo after the Alameda County Public Defender's Office closed its dependency practice, EBCLO operates a multi-disciplinary model that pairs attorneys with embedded Youth Advocate Social Workers (YASWs) to address both legal and psychosocial client needs. Its core programs include the Dependency Advocacy Program (court-appointed representation in juvenile dependency proceedings from detention through permanency), the Probate Guardianship Counsel for Children Program, and the Community-based Advocacy for Resources and Education (CARE) Program, which provides trauma-informed specialty services in education advocacy, mental health, early childhood (ages 0-5), and transition-age youth (ages 18-21) under California's AB12 extended foster care provisions.

The organization's revenue model is a hybrid of public appropriations, foundation grants, and individual donations rather than fee-for-service billing. The State of California, via the Judicial Council, provides the largest funding stream for court-appointed dependency representation; this source has experienced recent reductions on the order of $17,946 per month. Foundation grants (documented from Andrus Family Fund, Stuart Foundation, Sky Ranch Foundation, San Francisco Foundation, Thomas J. Long Foundation, Morris Stulsaft Foundation, and others) typically range from $2,000 to $25,000 per award and support specific programs such as education advocacy and transition-age youth services. Individual donations are processed through the Network for Good platform, supplemented by annual events including a 10th Anniversary Gala hosted at Salesforce in 2019 and recurring trivia nights and wine tastings.

EBCLO maintains offices in Oakland (headquarters at 80 Swan Way, Suite 300) and Hayward, with a staff of approximately 20-25, including Child Welfare Law Specialists, social workers, supervising attorneys, and operations staff. Distribution is exclusively through court appointment by the Alameda County Superior Court, meaning the organization does not market to or solicit clients directly. Over its history, EBCLO has represented more than 8,100 children in dependency proceedings, 520 in probate guardianship, and 86 in juvenile delinquency, earning recognition including the 2024 State Bar Gold DEI Leadership Seal, the 2015 Honorable Justice Clinton W. White Advocacy Award, and a 2013 Jefferson Award.

Name

East Bay Children's Law Offices

Legal name

East Bay Children's Law Offices

Website

https://ebclo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

East Bay Children's Law Offices is a nonprofit legal organization founded in 2009 that provides court-appointed, multi-disciplinary legal representation to children and youth in Alameda County foster care dependency and guardianship proceedings, funded by state appropriations, foundation grants, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Welfare Legal Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAM

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPAGAEAE

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPAGABAG

Child Protection & Child Rights

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/International Development & Poverty Alleviation

Keywords

• Child welfare legal services
• Foster care advocacy
• Juvenile dependency representation
• Guardianship legal counsel
• Youth legal advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government/State Funding: Primary funding from the State of California through the Judicial Council, representing approximately $17,946.18 per month reduction due to funding shortfalls. The organization receives court-appointed case funding for dependency representation.
2. Foundation Grants: Multiple foundation grants supporting specific programs including education advocacy, AB12/transition age youth services, and general operations.
3. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals via Network for Good platform, including matching campaigns and recurring giving programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

East Bay Children's Law Offices provides free, court-appointed legal representation to children and youth in Alameda County's foster care system. Its core offerings include the Dependency Advocacy Program (juvenile dependency representation), Probate Guardianship Counsel for Children Program, and the Community-based Advocacy for Resources and Education (CARE) program, augmented by specialty services in education advocacy, mental health advocacy, services for children aged 0-5, and Transitional Aged Youth (TAY) services for youth ages 18-21.

Product overview

East Bay Children's Law Offices (EBCLO) is a nonprofit legal services organization that provides holistic, multidisciplinary legal advocacy for children and youth in foster care. The organization operates three core programs: the Dependency Advocacy Program (court-appointed representation in juvenile dependency proceedings), the Probate Guardianship Counsel for Children Program, and the Community-based Advocacy for Resources and Education (CARE) Program. Embedded Youth Advocate Social Workers (YASWs) collaborate with attorneys across all programs. EBCLO also offers specialty services including Education Advocacy, Mental Health Advocacy, services for children aged 0-5, and Transitional Aged Youth (TAY) services for youth ages 18-21 in extended foster care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dependency Advocacy Program: Court-appointed legal representation for children and youth in juvenile dependency court proceedings due to abuse or neglect
• Probate Guardianship Counsel for Children Program
• Community-based Advocacy for Resources and Education (CARE)
• AB12 Project

Products and services

• Dependency Advocacy Program Court-appointed legal representation for children and youth brought to Alameda County juvenile dependency court due to abuse or neglect. Represents clients at all stages from detention through permanency and advocates for their educational, developmental, physical, and mental health needs.
• Probate Guardianship Counsel for Children Program Court-appointed legal representation for children involved in probate guardianship proceedings; assesses the appropriateness of proposed guardianships and assists children and families in obtaining community-based services.
• Community-based Advocacy for Resources and Education (CARE) Program Trauma-informed intensive and individualized support program delivered by specialist attorneys and Youth Advocate Social Workers addressing child client needs beyond the courtroom, with focus areas in education, mental health, transition-age youth, and children aged 0-5.
• Education Advocacy Specialty advocacy service providing representation at Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings for school and mental health services, representation in school discipline hearings, enforcement of foster youth's right to remain in their school of origin, and training for law students and CASAs.
• Mental Health Advocacy Specialty advocacy service focused on the mental health needs of children and youth in the foster care system.
• Supporting Children Aged 0-5 Specialized advocacy service for infants and toddlers in the juvenile court dependency system using multidisciplinary team approaches.
• Transitional Aged Youth (TAY) Services Specialty service supporting foster youth ages 18-21 in extended foster care under California's AB12 program, including higher education advocacy, housing, employment, and independent living skills support for transition to adulthood.

Quantifiable outcome

• 316 reunifications in one year with families safely home
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and major.

• Parents & Caregivers for WellnessminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 September 2018EBCLO is a proud partner of this Mental Health Services Oversight & Accountability Commission project working to ensure families obtain mental health services and strengthen voices of parents and caregivers.
• California College PathwaysminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2014Co-sponsored first all-county conference on higher education for foster youth, working with EBCLO to strengthen the network of professionals helping foster youth get to and through college.
• The John Burton FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2014Co-sponsored conference on higher education for foster youth and debut of Map to Higher Education tool.
• Beyond EmancipationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2014Co-sponsored conference on higher education and collaborated on planning committee with Alameda County Foster Youth Alliance and other stakeholders.
• John Burton Foundation for Children Without HomesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 October 2014Led the passage and implementation of California's landmark AB 12 extended foster care program which allows youth to remain in foster care until age 21. Recognized with EBCLO Ebby award for role in AB12's success.
• Alameda County Bar AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 March 2013Partner in the EBCLO Juvenile Defender Office launched in 2013 to represent youth in Alameda County Juvenile Delinquency Court. Partnership enables holistic defense approach to address instability underlying delinquency cases.
• East Bay Community Law CentermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 March 2013Partner in EBCLO Juvenile Defender Office, providing collaboration with Youth Defender Clinic at Berkeley Law School to provide seamless access to a range of legal services and community resources for youth.
• SalesforceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted EBCLO's 10th Anniversary Gala event.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Children's Law Center of California: Los Angeles-based nonprofit providing court-appointed legal representation to children in dependency and other proceedings. Directly comparable as a California-focused, court-appointed children's law office with multidisciplinary services.
• Bay Area Legal Aid: Regional legal aid provider serving the San Francisco Bay Area, including family law and child welfare matters. Comparable as a Bay Area nonprofit delivering free civil legal services to low-income families and children.
• East Bay Community Law Center: Berkeley-based nonprofit legal services provider and EBCLO's actual collaborator on the Juvenile Defender Office. Comparable as a fellow East Bay legal aid organization serving vulnerable populations including children and families.
• Legal Advocates for Children and Youth: San Jose-based nonprofit providing court-appointed representation for children in Santa Clara County dependency system. Directly comparable as a county-level, court-appointed children's law office in Northern California.
• Lawyers for Children: New York City-based nonprofit providing direct legal representation and social work advocacy to children in foster care. Closely comparable model with multidisciplinary legal-plus-social-work representation for court-involved children.

Broad incumbents

• National Center for Youth Law: Oakland-based national nonprofit that advances systemic reform for children in the foster care and juvenile justice systems. Comparable as a California-headquartered children's legal advocacy organization, though operating at the policy and impact-litigation level rather than direct representation.
• Public Counsel: Los Angeles-based largest pro bono law firm in the U.S., including children's rights and education advocacy programs. Comparable as a large California legal services nonprofit with a children's rights practice area.
• Children's Defense Fund: National child advocacy organization that influences policy on child welfare, foster care, and juvenile justice. Comparable as a child-focused nonprofit advocating for vulnerable children and families.

Others

• Disability Rights California: California's federally designated protection and advocacy system, which provides legal services to children with disabilities in the foster care system. Adjacent in that it serves overlapping child welfare populations with legal advocacy in California.
• John Burton Foundation for Children Without Homes: San Francisco-based nonprofit focused on improving outcomes for foster and homeless youth, including AB12 extended foster care. Adjacent as a direct EBCLO partner in policy work around transition-age youth services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ebclo
• Facebookfacebook.com/eastbaychildrenslaw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/east-bay-children's-law-offices
• Instagraminstagram.com/eastbaychildrenslaw
• TikToktiktok.com/@ebclo

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about East Bay Children's Law Offices