Child abuse and neglect is an issue that impacts many families in Orange County with about one in seven children experiencing abuse or neglect in the past year (Centers for Disease Control).  The state of California implements their prevention services through a state-supervised, county administered system which allows for each county to address child abuse prevention efforts through a ‘local lens” and tailor their approaches to their unique populations. 

We initiated the Children and Families Coalition of Orange County because we believe it is imperative our County takes a preventative approach to reduce harm to children at the time child maltreatment and abuse occurs to further prevent trauma in the future.

Child maltreatment has been associated with physical alterations to the brain which leaves these children at a higher risk of depression, substance abuse, and mood disorders (www.pnas.org.) Also, there is an established connection between experiences of maltreatment and subsequent perpetration of child abuse later in life and the higher likelihood of child victims developing mental health disorders as adults further puts them at risk to continue the cycle of abuse to the next generation (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.)  

Reforming the system so that it supports parents and families and addresses the social factors that contribute to child abuse, has the potential to break the cycle of abuse; thus reducing overall numbers of victims of abuse and neglect.