To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Human Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Nick Honey, 565-4343
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Recommended Action:
Title
Adopt a Gold Resolution designating the month of April 2020 as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Sonoma County.
End
Executive Summary:
April is nationally recognized as Child Abuse Prevention Month. As part of this national educational opportunity, the Sonoma County Human Services Department and the Child Parent Institute 1) share information on child abuse and neglect prevention efforts countywide, 2) acknowledge Child Abuse Prevention efforts by raising the Children’s Memorial Flag at the County Center on April 24, 2020, and 3) request the Board of Supervisors support child abuse prevention awareness and education by adopting a gold resolution.
Discussion:
Child abuse prevention requires a community-wide effort. The Human Services Department (HSD) partners with many community groups to reduce child abuse and neglect in Sonoma County. The Family, Youth and Children’s Services Division (FY&C) offers an array of prevention services programs to families with identified risk factors for potential child abuse. In 2019, the Division also continued to educate and train community professionals who are Mandated Reporters in child abuse prevention and reporting. They included teachers, police, fire fighters and health care professionals.
Of the 5,906 phone calls concerning child abuse or neglect received through the Emergency Response Hotline in 2019, 2,223 reports required an in-person investigation and 622 reports were confirmed as rising to the level of substantiated child abuse or neglect. Many of these families received prevention services from social workers and community providers while the families remained intact. In 285 cases, the situation was deemed so unsafe that children were removed from their home while parents addressed the safety issues. Also in 2019, 131 children and youth returned to their families once their home were determined safe and 48 children were adopted by forever families.
FY&C partners with community-based providers to offer a variety of child abuse prevention services designed to support the families who are investigated for potential child abuse, have some risk factors, but do not rise to the level of requiring longer-term child welfare involvement. These families are offered specialized services for therapy, housing, parenting education, health education or resource assistance to support families maintain a safe space for their children. The contracts for prevention services total approximately $650,000 and utilize Children’s Trust Fund, Child Abuse Prevention, Intervention and Treatment, Promoting Safe and Stable Families, Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention funds, and Realignment funding. In FY 2018-19, 177 families began services, which is a thirty percent increase in utilization of services from the prior fiscal year. Additionally, of all the 159 families that participated and closed services during the same fiscal year, 71 families met their program goals and 44 families partially met their program goals.
HSD also contracts with the Child Parent Institute to manage the Prevent Child Abuse - Sonoma County Council, which coordinates the community’s efforts in child abuse prevention, service coordination, and awareness. The Prevent Child Abuse - Sonoma County Council is authorized by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors under the authority of the Welfare and Institutions Code Section 18980, Chapter 12.5, Child Abuse Prevention Coordinating Council Act. The Council and HSD have partnered since 2005 to provide information about, and engage community partners in, child abuse prevention by offering quarterly trainings on topics related to child abuse prevention. This has included trainings on Adverse Childhood Experiences and providing Trauma-Informed Care to families, as well as implementing the annual Blue Ribbon campaign and coordinating interagency partnerships through the Council.
In 2020, the Council continues to be focused on trauma-informed care, as well as distributing information about child abuse prevention efforts and the impact of child abuse in Sonoma County through various forms of social media and trainings. In April, Child Parent Institute will also be offering free, community-wide parenting classes in recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month.
The Council works with a number of community partners to host the annual Blue Ribbon event. This year, the event will be held on April 23, 2020, in honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month. The event begins at 7:30 a.m. and will be held at the Santa Rosa Country Club, located at 333 Country Club Drive, Santa Rosa. The keynote presenter for the luncheon is Taquelia Washington, who will be speaking on How to Become Beacons of Hope in Times of Inequity and Trauma. Ms. Washington is a licensed clinical social worker and holds a pupil personal services credential. She has extensive experience working in community mental health, specializing in providing services in the school systems. For over 10 years she worked at a continuation school, providing mental health related services to “at risk” and “hard to engage” youth while also developing systems of care to help best support them. In addition, she has direct experience providing intensive therapeutic services to youth and their families in outpatient clinic settings. She utilizes an integrative approach in her clinical practice and strongly believes in the importance of building relationships and utilizing a culturally inclusive and trauma informed lens.
To further acknowledge 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 24, 2020, as a way to close Child Abuse Prevention month activities.
Prior Board Actions:
Every April, The Board of Supervisors declared April as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Sonoma County.
April 16, 2019
April 17, 2018
April 25, 2017
April 12, 2016
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 19-20 Adopted |
FY20-21 Projected |
FY 21-22 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
|
|
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
N/A
|
Staffing Impacts: |
|
|
|
|
Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Resolution
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None