When Families Are Strong, Children Are Safe

March 31, 2026 | Category: Press Release | Tags: CAPC Month

April Is Child Abuse Prevention Month

By the Yolo County Child Abuse Prevention Council

Every day in Yolo County, families show up for their children under real pressure. A parent stretches a paycheck to cover rent and groceries. A grandmother steps in to make sure the grandkids get to school. A neighbor notices something is off and reaches out. These acts of love and resilience are happening all around us, and they are the foundation of child abuse prevention.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and this year’s theme — “Strong Families, Safe Futures” — speaks to what the Yolo County Child Abuse Prevention Council (CAPC) knows to be true: the most effective way to keep children safe is to strengthen the families and communities around them, before a crisis ever occurs.
Child abuse is not inevitable. It is preventable. And prevention looks less like a flashing warning sign and more like the services and everyday acts that strengthen families: a caseworker helping a family sign up for health insurance, a home visitor building a trusting relationship with a new parent, a family finding childcare and respite care for their child, a tax preparer putting money back in a working family’s hands, or a neighbor who checks in without judgment. Prevention is what happens when people show up for each other.

That is why the CAPC brings together agencies and organizations across Yolo County — Child Welfare Services, public health, education, First 5 Yolo, law enforcement, community-based providers, and advocates — to make sure the safety net for families is strong, connected, and responsive. No single agency can do this work alone. That is by design. Protecting children is a community responsibility, and our council exists to make sure the whole community is working in the same direction.

The data reminds us why this work matters. In 2025, 725 children in Yolo County were the subject of child welfare investigations, and 125 children entered foster care. Behind each of those numbers is a real family — and in most cases, a moment that could have gone differently with earlier support. We are also paying close attention to a troubling disparity: Black children make up about 2.5% of Yolo County’s child population, yet they accounted for 15% of foster care entries among children ages 0–5 last year. That gap is neither acceptable nor inevitable. It reflects historical inequities that require intentional, culturally responsive action. Our council is committed to that work.

In Yolo County, where the poverty rate is 16.3%, many families are navigating serious financial stress alongside the everyday demands of raising children. We know that poverty is not neglect. But we also know that when families are stretched to the limit — without childcare, stable housing, or access to healthcare — the conditions for crisis can build. Addressing those pressures is prevention work. Supporting family economic stability, connecting parents to services before they reach a breaking point, and making sure families feel supported rather than surveilled: these are the investments that change outcomes for children.

Research from experts like Dr. Bruce Perry consistently shows that one of the greatest protective factors for a child is a stable, caring relationship with a trusted adult. That adult does not have to be a professional. It can be a coach, a teacher, a faith leader, a neighbor, or a family friend. When children have at least one person in their corner — and when families feel that their community is with them — they are far more resilient in the face of hardship.

This April, we are inviting everyone in Yolo County to be that person. On April 10 — Wear Blue Day — wear blue in solidarity with children and families across the county. Visit a Pinwheel Garden in your neighborhood, a symbol of the bright futures every child deserves. Add your voice to our Community Art Project and share your vision of a Yolo County where all families thrive. And throughout the month, share our prevention messages to keep this conversation going in every corner of the county.
Families in Yolo County are resilient. Communities here show up for one another. And children are safer when we invest in families before crises occur. That is the story we want to tell this April — not just the challenges, but the strength already present in this community, and what becomes possible when we build on it.

Click here to learn more or get involved.

Child Abuse Prevention Councils (CAPCs) of California are community councils whose primary purpose is to coordinate the community’s efforts to prevent and respond to child abuse and neglect. YCCA coordinates and leads the CAPC to deliver impactful and informational campaigns throughout the year, kicking off every campaign in April, Child Abuse Prevention Month.