Elizabeth Amalea Sandoval

Elizabeth A. Sandoval is a Senior Staff Attorney with the Legal Division of the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). Began with CDSS in 1995 as a licensing enforcement attorney. In 1999, tasked with evaluating complex program and fiscal audits performed by CDSS auditors and representing the Department on appeals from those audits, often involving millions of dollars of Aid to Families of Dependent Children-Foster Care (AFDC-FC) funds paid to corporate foster care providers. From 2003 until 2014 was a Supervising Staff Attorney with the Legal Division responsible directly, and in supervision of staff, for policy drafting, implementation, interpretation and clarification of statutes, regulations, and published policy related to the licensing of children’s residential facilities and a myriad of children’s issues. Since 2003 has been providing policy support to the CDSS Children and Family Services Division on federal and state areas of law involving foster children including Title IV-E, and Title IV-B, with primary emphasis as specialist attorney assigned to the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). As a specialist, successful in the negotiation of the State’s Title IV-E agreements with the Karuk and Yurok tribes; provided counsel on ICWA related legislation and provided support on ICWA county-compliance issues, which most recently has involved work on proposed state and federal regulations applicable to county social workers; and worked extensively with tribes, tribal advocates, and multiple state and local agencies. Prior to her employ with the Department, was senior counsel for the State Department of Fair Employment and Housing engaging in discrimination law enforcement, and before that engaged in private practice and immigration law practice with charitable catholic agencies.