To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Human Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Angela Struckmann 707-565-5800; Regina de Melo 707-565-4346
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Recommended Action:
Title
Adopt a Gold Resolution proclaiming the month of April as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Sonoma County and direct the raising of the Children’s Memorial Flag at the County Center on April 25, 2025.
End
Executive Summary:
April is nationally recognized as Child Abuse Prevention Month. As part of this national education effort, the Human Services Department and the Child Parent Institute request that the Board adopt a Gold Resolution proclaiming the month of April as Child Abuse Prevention Month and acknowledge child abuse prevention efforts by raising the Children’s Memorial Flag at the County Center on April 25, 2025.
Discussion:
As the provider of child welfare services in Sonoma County, the Family, Youth and Children’s Services division (FYC) has been leading community-wide efforts to increase child abuse prevention services to ensure the safety and well-being of children. In 2024, FYC social workers fielded nearly 9,000 calls of suspected abuse from mandated reporters and other concerned individuals. Of those 9,000 calls, 1,560 rose to the level of concern that required an in-person investigation and, of those, 260 rose to the level of requiring a child welfare case. 162 children entered foster care in 2024, which is 15% more children than in 2023. This is due to a variety of factors, including an increase in the number of child welfare concerns that involve domestic violence, substance use and severe mental health or behavioral concerns. Over 400 children were in foster care and a quarter of those children resided at Valley of the Moon Children’s Center at some point in 2024. Last year, approximately 100 children were either safely returned home with their parents or adopted into forever families.
FYC partners with the Child Parent Institute (CPI) to lead community discussions, trainings and planning efforts specifically related to child abuse prevention. In 2024, approximately 700 parents and community members participated in mandated reporter trainings and child abuse prevention planning efforts. Partners in this effort included several county departments, First 5 Sonoma County, faith-based communities, parents, local business leaders and other community-based organizations. FYC also led a two-year community-driven effort to create Sonoma County’s 5-year Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Plan. This plan reflects input from hundreds of community members, including foster youth, adults with a history of involvement in child welfare services, leaders from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities and agencies that serve local families. This plan was inspired by the disproportionality data that illustrates the overrepresentation of African American and Native American children in foster care. Because of this, the diverse planning team decided that the overarching goal of the prevention plan would be to reduce disparity and disproportionality in child abuse and neglect cases across Sonoma County. A leadership team meets regularly to monitor progress in completing plan steps and utilizes the plan as a tool for advocacy for additional child abuse prevention resources.
FYC works with community partners to directly support families and reduce the incidence of child abuse in a variety of ways. In 2024, FYC engaged community partners in 260 Child and Family Team meetings to strengthen connections between community-based organizations and families with child welfare cases. FYC also contracts with a community-based organization for parent mentoring services, so that parents with current child welfare cases can learn from and be supported by parents that have experienced the same situation and have been successful in their journeys. Last year, over 100 parents with new child welfare cases worked with a parent mentor. FYC also utilizes approximately $1.2M in child abuse prevention funding to provide robust child abuse prevention services through a network of community-based organizations. In 2024, approximately 300 families participated in child abuse prevention services provided by these contracted agencies. Participating families were diverted from additional involvement with the child welfare system and resolved the concerns that brought them to the attention of child welfare.
FYC relies on support and leadership from the California Department of Social Services to sustain its child abuse prevention efforts. In acknowledgement of Child Abuse Prevention month, the California Department of Social Services, Office of Child Abuse Prevention has asked that every county raise the Children’s Memorial Flag on Friday, April 25, 2025, as a way to conclude Child Abuse Prevention Month activities.
Prior Board Actions:
The Board annually adopts a Gold Resolution declaring April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Fiscal Summary
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
N/A
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Resolution
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None