"We Want Their Voices to Be Heard"
Advocating for a Brighter Future for Children and Families
In addition to providing services to families that walk through our doors each day, Cope is dedicated to taking action on issues that affect the well-being of families today and for future generations. “We are committed to making sure children and families have the resources they need,” said Executive Director Michele Grupe. “So we have really increased our efforts with regards to advocacy, community education and civic engagement."
One of the ways we promote civic engagement is by encouraging the families we work with to get involved. “Whether it’s by volunteering, going to a city council meeting or advocating through the voting process, we really want families to have their voices be heard,” said Michele. “We invite parents to participate in our Parents Council meetings, help us at voter education outreach events and share their experiences at public meetings.”
Michele Grupe, Executive Director and Co-Chair of CAPC, giving the Report on Children to the Napa County Board of Supervisors.
Secondly, as an organization, we advocate for local, state and federal legislation and policies that impact the economic, physical and emotional wellbeing of families. “The Child Abuse Prevention Council (CAPC) of Napa County’s Report on children highlights many of the challenges families face when raising their children: economic insecurity, immigration status, lack of housing and access to healthcare. The chronic toxic stress these conditions have on children and parents affect them over the course of their lives. Government action can help or hurt the situation. Specific recommendations regarding future actions and legislation are included in the report (include hyperlink for online version). For example, CAPC and Cope support Child Care and Development Services Act (AB2626) which would help counties draw more funding for child care in our community.”
The Child Abuse Prevention Council (CAPC) of Napa County advocates to protect and enrich the lives of children and their families.
Finally, as the lead agency of CAPC, we help create a unified voice for child abuse prevention efforts in Napa County. CAPC provides professional development trainings for partner organizations, oversees education campaigns to engage the larger community in prevention efforts and advocates for public policy that impacts children’s safety and healthy development. “CAPC also partners with Child Welfare Services to deliver Mandated Reporter Trainings to agencies employing individuals that work closely with children and families. These trainings inform mandated reporters of their legal obligations to report known and suspected child abuse or neglect, what signs to look for and the process of reporting,” Michele explained.
Cope is here to empower families to raise children who thrive. But we also want to help address the root causes of their challenges and create institutional change so the entire community benefits.
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This story is featured in our 2017 Impact Report. You can view the full digital report to learn more about Cope's impact and read more featured stories like this one.