Adopt Proclamation declaring April 2026 as “Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month” in Santa Clara County. (Social Services Agency)

County of Santa Clara Social Services Agency 127648 DATE: April 14, 2026 TO: Board of Supervisors FROM: Daniel Little, Director, Social Services Agency Wendy Kinnear, Director, Dept of Family and Children's Services SUBJECT: Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month RECOMMENDED ACTION Adopt Proclamation declaring April 2026 as “Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month” in Santa Clara County. (Social Services Agency) FISCAL IMPLICATIONS There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action. REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION AND BACKGROUND Each April, communities nationwide recognize Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month as a time to uplift the importance of nurturing families and supportive communities in ensuring children grow up safe, valued and thriving. Child and family well-being is shaped not only by individual circumstances, but by the environments in which families live, work, and raise their children. Experiences such as economic stress, community violence, housing instability, and limited access to supportive services can create challenges for families, yet with the right supports in place, families demonstrate remarkable resilience, strength, and...

PROCLAMATION OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA DECLARING APRIL 2026 AS CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS AND PREVENTION MONTH WHEREAS, childhood is a formative time, and abuse and neglect have devastating long- term effects on young lives; WHEREAS, in 2025, there were 6,636 reports or approximately 18 reports a day of child abuse in Santa Clara County that required in-person investigations by child welfare social workers; WHEREAS, child abuse is a core underlying factor in a range of issues such as high rates of school dropout, homelessness, incarceration, and chronic illness; WHEREAS, the best way to prevent child abuse is by surrounding children with healthy parental, family and community-based relationships that are physically and emotionally safe, respectful, kind, and never violent or abusive; WHEREAS, the County of Santa Clara envisions a community where healthy relationships are modeled in every home, family, neighborhood, school, and workplace; WHEREAS, the leaders and residents of Santa Clara County affirm that children and youth have a right to be free from mistreatment, abuse, and neglect, as pledged in the Bill of Rights for Children and Youth adopted by...