Together, the members of the Child Abuse Prevention Council (CAPC) of Napa County, are launching the Mi Familia, Mi Communidad campaign to inspire Napa county residents to build a resilient community that is safe and supportive for our kids and families.
Risk Factors for child maltreatment happen across many domains. Suffering abuse and neglected, living in a home with mental health or substance abuse issues, or being homeless are childhood experiences that have an immediate impact, but also can affect long-term mental and physical health. Childhood adversity (especially multiple traumas) can cause toxic stress. Excessive activation of the body’s stress response system leads to long-lasting wear and tear on the body and brain, by damaging neurons in developing brains, immune systems and more.
The 1995 groundbreaking Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Study by the CDC and Kaiser Permanente demonstrated that people who have experienced ACEs in the family household are at greater risk for lifelong issues like substance abuse, mental health issues (depression, anxiety, suicide attempts), heart disease, and cancer. Not surprisingly, the health-related conditions caused by the chronic toxic stress of ACEs aligns with Napa County’s most persistent unmet health needs.
Newer research has identified additional types of ACEs that compound an entire community’s dose of ACEs. Adverse Community Experiences include poverty, discrimination, neighborhood violence and poor housing quality and affordability. Children who live in poverty are three times more likely to be abused and seven times more likely to be neglected than children in higher socioeconomic status families. Adverse Climate Events include natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and events caused by the climate crisis – wildfires, record heat and droughts, storms, flooding, and mudslides.
HOUSEHOLD RISK FACTORS
Traumatic experiences like this have immediate and long lasting impacts on children. They increase the risk for mental illness, heart disease, cancer and more.
- physical, emotional and sexual abuse
- neglect
- mental health problems in the home
- substance abuse
- domestic violence
- homelessness
- divorce/separation
COMMUNITY RISK FACTORS
Community experiences like these increase the likelihood for child maltreatment in that community and has negative health impacts for the whole community.
- poverty
- discrimination
- neighborhood violence
- poor housing quality
- affordability
- food scarcity
- substandard wages
ENVIRONMENTAL RISK FACTORS
Natural disasters are happening at an increased rate. The stress and trauma that these have on a community can also have long-lasting negative impacts on health and wellness for all community members.
- earthquakes
- pandemic
- wildfires and smoke
- record heat and droughts
- sea level rise
- climate crisis
The good news, each of us can play a part in building a healthy and resilient community for our children. ACEs are prevented - and their impact reduced - when children are connected, families are supported, and community members take positive action.
In addition to reducing risk factors for child maltreatment, building individual and community resilience is key to making positive change. Research shows that if caregivers are resilient, know how to solve problems, have healthy relationships with other adults, build healthy relationships with children and provide a safe environment, the effects of ACEs are reduced. These are protective factors.
Between now and June, CAPC members will share ways to educate and get involved to reduce risk factors and promote protective factors within your own family and throughout the community. We all have a role to play. Sometimes my family needs help. Sometimes my family has help to give. Whatever role I’m in, my community is more resilient when we all play a part in the solution.
This campaign is led by the Child Abuse Prevention Council of Napa County (CAPC), and made possible through funding from Kaiser Permanente, John Brockway Huntington Foundation, and funds from the American Rescue Plan Act and Community Based Child Abuse Prevention through County of Napa Child Welfare Services.
Los días de Juego Arcoíris comenzaron en 2019 a través de un proyecto de First 5 Napa County que buscaba ayudar a nuestres families LGBTQ a sentirse seguras, visibles y conectadas. En los últimos 4 años, las reuniones han crecido para incluir horas de cuentos virtuales (como una forma de mantenerse conectado durante la pandemia de COVID 19), manualidades y desfiles infantiles. Se han expandido más allá de los patios de recreo para reunirse en pistas de boliche y caminatas por los preciados espacios al aire libre de nuestro condado. Son un espacio donde les families LGBTQ y les families aliades pueden construir comunidad.
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Puertas Abiertas cree que todo adulto y padre tiene derecho a recibir servicios que fortalezcan las habilidades emocionales para funcionar mejor en diferentes áreas de su vida, satisfacer las necesidades básicas y crear un entorno saludable para un niño. Por esta razón, ofrecemos a nuestra comunidad latina el programa “La Cultura Cura”, que ha sido diseñado para fomentar el crecimiento y desarrollo personal, la fortaleza y la resiliencia.
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Every child deserves a healthy and happy childhood, which is why every April, The Child Abuse Prevention Council, led by Cope Family Center, commemorates Blue Ribbon Month by raising awareness and funds to prevent child abuse and neglect.
From our work over the past 50 years, we know that even the most well-intentioned parents struggle to provide a safe and nurturing home for their children. It is important that, as a community, we increase our awareness and understanding of child maltreatment, so we can work together to keep children safe and create brighter futures for Napa’s children and families.
