Dear friends and partners,

I am honored and excited to connect with you as the new CEO of Safe & Sound.

It’s been an extraordinary first few weeks filled with warm welcomes, thoughtful team discussions, inspiring connections with families, and a sneak peek into the incredible foundation this organization has built. I am grateful to Katie for the vision and extraordinary leadership that brought us to this point, and appreciate her guidance and thoughtful transition that have paved a path for the next chapter.

As I joined the panel discussion at our first 2023 Lunch & Learn webinar, only one week into my new position, I was struck by the almost palpable shift in the conversation—from one of hoping we can move toward prevention, to one of significant change already underway to support families in remaining safe and strong in the communities they trust. This year, April’s Child Abuse Prevention Month brought unprecedented momentum for that change as California’s Family First Prevention Services Plan received federal approval, counties submitted plans that will further strengthen families, and so many efforts centered on equity and social justice to address the indisputable overrepresentation of Black, Native American, and Latinx families in child welfare.

What an amazing time to step into the CEO role with the Safe & Sound team as the organization enters its 50th year of operation. As we emerge from a pandemic that shined a bright light on broken and inequitable systems of care, we now have an unprecedented opportunity to reimagine these systems to help children, families, and communities thrive. I want every child to have a safe future, strong family, and a sound community, and I will never stop striving to remove the barriers to equity for our most marginalized communities.

Heartfelt appreciation to all of you for the partnership and support you have offered to Safe & Sound. I am a believer there is no substitute for relationships, and indeed, it is the connections we make every day with families, community partners, and system leaders that help build our collective impact. I am excited to grow those connections—together, with your support.

My personal journey has brought me to this moment, and my expertise and experience will help carry forward the movement building work already underway at Safe & Sound and across our communities and state. We all have a role to play to keep families safe and sound, and I look forward to being in this work with you.

In community,

Pegah