Child Abuse Prevention Council of Siskiyou County: Supporting Parents to Provide Safe, Healthy Environments for Their Children

Siskiyou County, the fifth largest county in California, with child abuse rates higher than the state average (child abuse allegations are twice as prevalent as the statewide average), faces unique challenges when it comes to child welfare and demographics. With a relatively small population and a mix of rural communities and small towns, access to resources and services can be limited, increasing family isolation. Furthermore, a higher-than-average poverty rate compared to the state of California often contributes to stressors that impact family dynamics and child welfare.

Organizations like First 5 Siskiyou play a vital role in a preventing child abuse. For 25 years, First 5 Siskiyou has actively invested in and worked with partners to raise awareness and reduce child abuse rates through community engagement and support programs.

Every county in CA has a designated Child Abuse Prevention Council (CAPC). As Siskiyou County’s CAPC, First 5 Siskiyou collaborates with local agencies and leaders to promote awareness and encourage community involvement. “This designation has opened the door for more opportunities to increase community awareness about prevention and community education around how we can do better to improve child outcomes by supporting parents,” says Karen Pautz, executive director of First 5 Siskiyou/Siskiyou Child Abuse Prevention Council.

Strengthening Families as a framework for collaboration

First 5 Siskiyou collaborates with more than 25 agencies, health service organizations, schools, community partners and leaders to provide services that address the root causes of child abuse. Strengthening Families 5 Protective Factors Framework from the Center for Social Policy, a research-based approach to increase family strengths, enhance child development and reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect, is the foundation for this collaboration.

The CAPC goal is to support families through access to programs and services to build five protective factors: parental resilience; social connections; knowledge of parenting and child development; concrete support in times of need; and social and emotional development in children. Partnerships with community members, local schools, child care and education providers, libraries and other willing organizations and groups are key to providing successful programs that enhance child development and parenting support.

Directly addressing the root causes of child abuse

The dedicated First 5 Siskiyou team, led by executive director Karen Pautz, works together with Siskiyou County Health and Human Services and other partners to prevent child abuse by offering family-friendly events, playgroups and parent education programs to nurture family protective factors throughout Siskiyou County.

First 5 Siskiyou project manager Lexi Beaulieu coordinates home visiting systems, a proven strategy for strengthening families and improving the health of women and young children. Home visits are voluntary and serve families from diverse backgrounds and a wide variety of needs. Families can receive support from a range of professionals including health, social service and education professionals through Shasta, Siskiyou and Modoc Early Head Start programs, Public Health and First 5’s Welcome Home Baby program. Through regular home visits, parents have increased access to resources and critical information to support their children’s healthy development.

Lexi also works closely with diverse organizations and schools to plan and schedule the parenting education program including classes and workshops, online and in-person, which address a wide variety of needs, offering solutions to many parenting challenges. Go to first5siskiyou.org/parenting-education-classes for information on upcoming and ongoing classes and workshops. In-person groups include child care and dinner to reduce barriers for families.

Mackenzie Bolls and Jean Trevisan coordinate the First 5 Siskiyou April Child Abuse Prevention Month efforts. Go to first5siskiyou.org for information on all the exciting free family-centered events planned throughout the county this April.

Registered dietician Michele Harris coordinates the Cal Fresh program through First 5. She also facilitates CAPC meetings in which multiple agencies collaborate on implementation of effective child abuse prevention programs and strategies.

Team member Allison Scull leads efforts at all cities and the Board of Supervisors to adopt proclamations for Child Abuse Prevention and Sexual Assault Awareness month in April.

Play in safe, age-appropriate settings is essential for children’s social, emotional and physical development. First 5 team members Krista Weagraff, Layna Baker and Kara Kitchen co-facilitate playgroups in Yreka, Mount Shasta and Dunsmuir. In addition, Nikki Crocker leads playgroups in Happy Camp. Playgroups provide children an opportunity to develop social skills, learn to communicate appropriately, enjoy physical activity, get ready for school and increase cognitive abilities and emotional growth.

A multi-pronged approach to strengthening families

First 5 Siskiyou provides a plethora of additional programs that work together to provide a safety net for parents in need of support.

Help Me Grow Siskiyou provides free parent-administered developmental screenings for children ages two months to six years, connecting children and their families to services and resources to enhance the development, behavior and learning of children and increase support for parents.

Quality Counts Siskiyou supports early childhood centers, preschools, family child care homes and Happy Camp Community Center play groups that voluntarily commit to continuous quality improvement based on state and nationally recognized quality standards.

Children with strong literacy skills are often more confident and capable, making them less vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Family Literacy Promotion, a funding partnership with Siskiyou County libraries, Delta Kappa Gamma, preschools and child care centers, provides early literacy resources, quality children’s books, story time and parent education training about the importance of daily reading with children. Available in English and Spanish.

Kit for New Parents, a free, comprehensive resource for new and expectant parents, emphasizes the importance of a child’s early years. Available in multiple languages, the kits are distributed countywide including through clinics, home visitation programs and hospitals.

Smoking & Kids Don’t Mix/Kick-It, in partnership with Siskiyou Tobacco Education Council, provides knowledge and resources about the impact and effects of the use of tobacco products, including around children and while pregnant.

Siskiyou Parenting Education Collaborative helps parents raise children who thrive through community-based educational trainings, programs, fun events and text-based messages. Families in need are assisted with access to resources such as CalFresh.

Siskiyou Professional Development Partnership works with organizations to coordinate high-quality trainings for service providers. Trainings include education about the impact of trauma and teach trauma-informed practices.

To help babies, toddlers, preschoolers and school age children and youth have a strong start in life, First 5 Siskiyou leads the Siskiyou Strengthening Families Collaborative to work hand in hand with Siskiyou County Health and Human Services, Siskiyou Domestic Violence and Crisis Center, Siskiyou County Office Of Education, Siskiyou County Local Child Care Planning Council and many other key partners to elevate community awareness about the effect of ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and the effectiveness of the
5 Protective Factors.

Learn more about all the services available through First 5 designed to prevent child abuse and address its root causes at first5siskiyou.org.