The Little Black Dress Initiative (LBDI) is a week-long awareness and fundraising campaign founded in 2014 by the Junior League of London to raise awareness about foster youth.

From October 10 to 13, 2023, participants will wear the same black dress for four consecutive days in Los Angeles as part of the Junior League of Los Angeles Little Black Dress Initiative. JLLA members, please join us for a kick-off event on Friday, September 29 at 6 p.m. at Rainey House to learn more about participating. More information is available on our members-only site.

Join us, wear the dress, be a sponsor, be an advocate, support our mission! Anyone can support this special initiative by joining our non-member advocates team. Corporate and Family Sponsor packages now available. Email Emily Rivera at emilyr.jlla@gmail.com or Leticia Govea at leticia.govea@compass.com for more information.

Why We Do It

Every year, 30,000 children are in foster care in Los Angeles County due to evidence or risk of abuse, neglect, or abandonment.

Since 2013, funding was eliminated for integral mentoring and life-skills training programs that supported hundreds of youth in Los Angeles County as they aged out of the foster care system.

JLLA has responded by providing direct service projects such as Friends of the Children LA, Happy Trails, Harvest Home and United Friends of the Children. These projects focus on providing support for parenting foster youth with salaried professionals who stay with them for 12+ years and setting up events and programming to support them such as STEAM Fairs, meditation sessions, outdoor adventures and workshops on topics like career development, self-advocacy, stress management and financial literacy.

Read more about LBDI and JLLA’s work with foster youth.