California Child Abuse Prevention Summit

The summit took place February 12, 2008, at the Sacramento Sheraton Grand Hotel with more than 300 participants in attendance. This event was co-sponsored by the California Department of Social Services' Office of Child Abuse Prevention and the California Coalition of Child Abuse Prevention, representing Child Abuse Prevention Councils in all 58 counties.

Here are some highlights from the event:

Featured Speakers

CDSS Director John Wagner offered welcoming remarks at the 2008 California Child Abuse Prevention Summit in Sacramento.

CDSS Director John Wagner presented a proclamation award to Hermelinda Ortiz, Parent Leader Coordinator for Parents Anonymous, and commemorated the Governor's proclamation of February as "Parent Leadership Month."

Keynote presenter Philip Cowan, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, UC Berkeley, explained: "We need to remove agency barriers that do not support father involvement." Carolyn Pape Cowan, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, UC Berkeley, further illustrated this point by noting how agencies themselves are typically not very father friendly—the art on the walls, color schemes, décor and even the magazines in the waiting room are geared for women. Also, inflexible operating hours make it difficult for many fathers to participate.

The Cowans' research indicates that the best single predictor of family involvement for a father is the quality of his relationship with the mother.

Keynote presenter Vicky Marchand, M.S.W., M.P.H., Senior Associate, Pathways to Prevention, talked about how "you should take nuggets of what you know and have learned and put them together in a way that works for you." She added: "The work you do with building partnerships is all about the relationship you have with those partners—be patient with each other and foster the relationships you have with agencies in the community."

Plenary presenter Elaine Whitefeather, Instructor, The Center for Human Services, UC Davis Extension, remarked: "We need to heal our own issues and continue to grow so that we can do what is needed to help schildren and families. We need to be Healed Healers not Wounded Warriors."

Comments from Participants

"I came to the summit to learn about new trends, information and assessment tools. I've learned a lot and can see how it will benefit my agency and my community."

- Monique Hawkins, Program Director of Court Services, Kern County Department of Human Services

"I'm a child abuse pediatrician for Contra Costa County. The summit content is far-reaching and allows for many points of view—and it's helpful to many who are in a position to help the families in their communities."

- Dr. Jim Carpenter, Child Abuse Pediatrician, Contra Costa Regional Medical Center

"I work with Native American families and came to the summit because I needed to get more reinforced information. I'm glad I came."

- Caroline Stromberg, Program Coordinator, Wellness and Prevention/Child Care, Washoe Native TANF Program

"I'm a detective for child abuse and domestic violence, and the information presented is helpful and will directly apply to what we do."

- Mike Miller, Detective, Vacaville Police Department

"The opportunity to collaborate—especially on new program development—gives us more strength. And we can create more impact than if we did it alone."

- Delegates from the Child Abuse Prevention Center, Sacramento

Other Participants

Teresa Contreras, M.S.W., Bureau Chief, California Department of Social Services, Office of Child Abuse Prevention

Cassandra Firman, FRIENDS National Resource Center for Child Abuse Prevention