Dear Child Abuse Prevention Council members, and friends of the CAPC:
Thank you for your commitment to children and families, and to keeping families together, safely in their homes. In June, Jane Smithson announced her last meeting as the CAPC Coordinator under the now expired contract with Shared Vision Consultants. We thank Jane and Shared Visions for their work spanning over two or more decades with San Mateo County!
There are lots of happenings related to Child Abuse Prevention, and by way of this message I wanted to share a some exciting updates:
- San Mateo County submitted a County Prevention Plan to the State of California on July 28, 2023. The next step will to receive feedback and/or approval from the State, and then move together into implementation as a County. Once approved, an update will be shared.
- Children and Family Services has been attending the Greater Bay Area Child Abuse Prevention Council Coalition (GBAC) meetings to thought partner with surrounding counties and share best practices. As founding member and leader of the GBAC, Safe & Sound has applied for grant funding to serve as the lead agency for a 10-county Bay Area-wide initiative to plan, implement, and evaluate new approaches to reform the mandated reporting system that advance our mutual goals of ensuring safety, reducing inequities, and creating meaningful change to child welfare to move toward a community supporting system.
- Children and Family Services is working with consulting firm Shared Vision Consultants Sean Hughes and Michele Groupe (Cope Family Center, Napa County) on a strategic redesign of the CAPC to align with the direction of Families First Services Prevention Act (FFPSA), County Prevention Plan implementation, and to elevate the CAPC in San Mateo County. We are currently conducting foundational steps and will be back in touch with the CAPC members this coming Fall so that we can come together as a group for a larger discussion.
We look forward to continued work together, and will be back in touch with updates soon!