CAP Month 2017

Here you'll find information and resources from the 2017 Child Abuse Prevention Month campaign. For information about the current year's campaign, see the News & Events page.

2017 campaign focuses on RESILIENCE screenings

Each April, the Santa Barbara County Child Abuse Prevention Council (CAPC) promotes Child Abuse Prevention Month (CAPM) to raise awareness of child abuse and neglect, and the actions that community members can take to prevent and mitigate it.

For April 2017, CAPC's efforts centered on free screenings countywide of the one-hour documentary film "RESILIENCE: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope." RESILIENCE chronicles the birth of a new movement among pediatricians, therapists, educators and communities, who are using cutting-edge brain science on the effect of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) to help parents and children disrupt the cycle of violence, addiction and disease. Each screening was followed an expert panel discussion or a facilitated community dialogue. Attendees were invited to submit postcards specifying actions they would take based on what they learned.

The screenings, promoted largely to professionals who work with children and families (such as social services agencies, schools, clinics, churches, and law enforcement), enjoyed strong turnout. About 70 people saw the film in Santa Ynez, 125 in Santa Maria, 300 in Santa Barbara, and 85 in Lompoc. The film was also shown to 53 people at the Child Development Conference on April 8 in Santa Maria, and another 52 at the Santa Barbara Unified School District's Cradle to K Summit on April 27 in Santa Barbara.

Other activities traditionally associated with CAP Month in our County also took place, including "Wear Blue" events at various organizations, brief CAPC appearances to receive local governmental proclamations recognizing Child Abuse Prevention Month in Goleta and Solvang, and Pinwheel Planting events in Santa Maria and Lompoc. CAPC Director Barb Finch also spoke at a luncheon to honor law enforcement officers for the work they do with Santa Ynez Valley People Helping People to intervene in crisis situations and support victims of domestic violence and child abuse.

The promotional campaign for Child Abuse Prevention Month and the RESILIENCE film included print and broadcast media, social media, and targeted email marketing.

The screenings and events were a success thanks in part to the co-sponsorship of our partners including First 5, Family Service Agency, Santa Ynez Valley People Helping People, Isla Vista Youth Projects, and the Santa Barbara Unified School District.