In September 2022, Safe & Sound released an issue brief proposing recommendations that will build strong communities that help keep children safe and families together. Over the last year, Safe & Sound has been playing an important leadership role in the statewide effort to shift from reporting families into systems, to safely supporting families in the communities where they can thrive.
We invite you to join this effort by applying for the Mandated Reporting to Community Supporting (MRCS) Task Force through the English or Spanish language links below.
Dear Child, Family, and Community Well-Being Partners,
We are excited to connect with you today about California’s commitment to build communities that keep children and youth safe and families together. Specifically, California has approved the formation of a Mandated Reporting to Community Supporting (MRCS) Task Force to help realize this commitment.
This communication provides information on the purpose, progress, and next steps of the MRCS Task Force. We invite you to learn more, and to share this information broadly, as we all have a role to play in building communities that keep children safe and families together.
What we are working toward
The need for change in the mandated reporting system is evidenced in the large volume of reports to child protection hotlines each year that ultimately end up being screened out, unsubstantiated, or included as allegations of general neglect only. The negative impact of overreporting is most significant for Black/African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Latino/a children and families who are disproportionately represented in these reports, and in the child welfare system overall.
On March 13, 2023, the California Child Welfare Council (CWC) unanimously approved a set of Community Pathway Recommendations with the following goals:
Achieving these two goals requires working side-by-side with individuals and families with lived experience and expertise to transform current mandated reporting practices and policies, build community support networks, and equip mandated reporters with tools and information to change their practices.
Dr. Mark Ghaly, Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, clearly stated California’s commitment to transform the state’s mandated reporting system following the unanimous vote by the Child Welfare Council when he said,
“This will take a reorientation of both mindset and how people work—how we invest in the work, and invest in the people who do the work. This is not just an average vote that we turn our backs on. This is a vote with a commitment that we all stay involved and support a mindset shift to make this happen.”
Progress to date
Recommendation #1 of the set of Community Pathway Recommendations approved on March 13th calls for the implementation of a statewide Mandated Reporting to Community Supporting Task Force. The work of the Task Force has been underway since early April through regular meetings of the Task Force Working Group, brought together and led by Co-Chairs, Dana Blackwell and Roger De Leon.
The Working Group members represent the individuals and organizations that were involved in developing and advancing the original set of mandated reporting reform recommendations and include:
Task Force Co-Chairs:
Dana E. Blackwell, Casey Family Programs
Roger De Leon Jr., Father with lived experience and Child Welfare Council member
Prevention & Early Intervention (PEI) Committee Co-Chairs:
Kathy Icenhower, SHIELDS for Families
David Swanson Hollinger, Child & Family Services Ventura County
Vanessa Spagnoli, Casey Family Programs
Juliet Cox, Citizen Review Panel
Hillary Konrad, Office of Child Abuse Prevention (OCAP) within the California Department of Social Services
Katie Albright and Jenny Pearlman, Safe & Sound
We are interviewing key stakeholders and planning listening sessions with a broad group of individuals who have proximity to the practice and impact of mandated reporting. Inquiry and research will be a constant part of our process over the life of the MRCS Task Force as we work toward a set of recommendations targeted for June 2024.
What’s next—and how you can join us
We acknowledge the urgency for change and we seek to partner with individuals and groups who have proximity to the mandated reporter system through their personal and/or professional experience and expertise. Our goal is to inform and advance this work with those most impacted by the current system, and those who have the greatest ability to change it.
The next step is to build out the MRCS Task Force and subcommittee membership. If you are interested in participating on the MRCS Task Force, or one of its subcommittees, please complete the application. Submission deadline is August 9, 2023, 5:00pm (PDT). Members will be selected before the end of August.
We are committed to engaging an active and expert group of people who share our passion for seizing this historical moment to reform the mandated reporting system and safely narrow the front door to child welfare.
Please share this email and link to your networks to help support California’s commitment to building communities that keep children and youth safe, and families together.
Roger De Leon Jr.
Co-Chair, MRCS Task Force
Child Welfare Council Member
Parent Partner, Fatherhood Advocate, Professional with Lived Expertise
Dana E. Blackwell
Co-Chair, MRCS Task Force
Child Welfare Council Member
Senior Director, CA Strategic Consultation, Casey Family Programs
Over the past 15 years, Safe & Sound’s programs have directly served more than 150,000 individuals and contributed to a 67% reduction in the rate of child abuse in San Francisco. Although we are incredibly proud of this achievement, we must remember that almost 6 children out of 1,000 continue to suffer abuse and neglect across California. According to the 2022 Economics of Child Abuse Report, every day in California 141 children suffer the long-term impact of child abuse and neglect.
*Client name has been changed to respect confidentiality.
Felipe, a Spanish-speaking dad with two young daughters, learned about Safe & Sound when he was overwhelmed and struggling to be an only parent after his partner passed away. Felipe urgently needed support in creating an environment where his young daughters could learn and thrive. With the help of the Safe & Sound Clinical Care Coordination team, Felipe started in the Integrated Family Services (IFS) program—tailored for families living in conditions that create the highest risk for child abuse and neglect. Through this program, Felipe’s youngest daughter developed new social-emotional skills in Safe & Sound’s Playroom, paving the way for a successful transition to preschool. With the counselors’ help, Felipe and his daughters now have stable housing and access to additional community resources. Felipe recently graduated from the IFS program, but enjoys staying connected through our TALK Line, a 24-hour 7 days a week parental support line.
Felipe’s story is one of many family success stories you have helped to create at Safe & Sound. We all have a role in helping families build their resilience and strength to raise children in nurturing, and safe ways.
In 2022, 11,425 children and caregivers were served through Safe & Sound programs and supportive services. Each client’s story is unique, and we tailor our services and support depending on each family’s goals. Our successful work is rooted in an intentional focus on prevention—helping increase the number of family support centers like Safe & Sound, partnering with child-serving systems to help families safely stay together, and always looking at the data to create and deliver what works best for families.
There are more families like Felipe’s in the community who need your ongoing support. Together, we can all have an important part in strengthening families and protecting children. Your support will help Safe & Sound provide critical programs and services.