Child Care Law Center

Advocating for Children Since 1980

Leadership Team

Frank Paré

Treasurer

Leadership Team

Certified Financial Planner ™

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Frank Paré started his career in financial services over 30 years ago. He is a Certified Financial Planner ™ professional with the CFP Board of  Standards. Frank has a degree in International Relations and an M.B.A. in management. Frank is also a past president and chair of the Financial Planning Association, a national association with over 22,000 financial planners in the U.S. and abroad. He has been quoted extensively in various national magazines and newspapers. Frank has received several awards and accolades for his work and is credited with starting the first nationally-recognized day of pro-bono financial planning (“Financial  Planning Days”) held in cities across the country during October.

Sarah Efthymiou

Secretary

Leadership Team

Senior Counsel, Bolder Advocacy

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Sarah Efthymiou is a directing attorney at Public Law Center. Ms. In her role, she provides pro bono legal services to nonprofits, helping them build their capacity to serve Public Law Center’s clients and low-income and underrepresented communities in Orange County. Ms. Efthymiou also teaches seminars on starting nonprofits and legal education. Ms. Efthymiou joined the Child Care Law Center Board of Directors in 2019, and received her law degree from Syracuse University College of Law, and her bachelor’s degree from University of Redlands. 

Natasha Saggar Sheth

Chair

Leadership Team

Government Attorney

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Natasha Saggar Sheth is an attorney who brings her background in civil litigation, policy reform and legal editing to her position on the Board. Ms. Saggar Sheth joined the Child Care Law Center Board of Directors in 2017; she received her JD from the University of California Hastings College of Law, and her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. 

Ernest Hammond III

Vice-Chair

Leadership Team

Lead Product Counsel - Meta

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Ernest Hammond III is a Lead Product Counsel at Meta. Mr. Hammond is passionate about fighting for social justice, and greatly enjoys mentoring high school and college students. He received his law degree from Washington and Lee University School of Law and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida. He joined the Child Care Law Center Board of Directors in 2019.

Laurie Furstenfeld

Director of Legal Advocacy

Leadership Team

Pronouns: (she/her)

Contact

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“There is a higher law than the law of government. That’s the law of conscience.”

Stokely Carmichael

Laurie Furstenfeld has been a social and racial justice advocate for families and children for more than 20 years and draws from her previous experience as a social worker to inform her work today. In her time at the Law Center, she has crafted policies that increase the availability of affordable, enriching child care, ensure parents keep their child care, and improve housing and land-use protections for family child care home providers. She has co-led successful campaigns to pass four state laws, the strongest of their kind in the U.S. 

Outside of her work at the Law Center, Ms. Furstenfeld has served as a board member of the Perfect Tender Child Care Co-op, and has also worked on children’s issues related to benefits, juvenile justice, foster care, mental health, special education, and immigration. Ms. Furstenfeld received her JD degree at University of California Davis, her master’s degree in Social Work at University of California, Berkeley, and holds a Public Service Law Program Certificate.

For more information or questions about Legislation, child care eligibility for resource families, or the regulation of family child care homes, please contact Ms. Furstenfeld.

Maisha Cole

Deputy Director

Leadership Team

Pronouns: (she/her)

Contact

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“Education changed the trajectory of my life. Education gave me the confidence to demand justice and equality. Education pushed me to constantly challenge myself and never stop seeking knowledge!”

Maisha Cole

Maisha Cole has been a leader and educator in the field for years and is passionate about combining her love of education and legal expertise here at the Child Care Law Center. Ms. Cole greatly enjoys working with community members, and regularly presents workshops about Estate Planning, Governmental Benefits, and Disability Rights. Within and outside of the Law Center, she mentors law students and recent law school graduates. Ms. Cole received her JD degree from University of California, Hastings College of the Law and her bachelor’s degree from University of California, Berkeley. Ms. Cole has participated in the Legal Education Opportunity Program (LEOP) and the Public Interest Program.

For inquiries about Children with Disabilities, housing protections for child care providers and due process rights for families receiving child care subsidies, please contact Ms. Cole.