A new learning brief from the LA County Office of Education shows how a combination of legislation, local will, and community infrastructure can keep families safe, connected, and supported while ensuring child welfare resources serve the children who need them most.
The LA County Office of Education (LACOE) and the Mandated Supporting Initiative (MSI) have done that rare thing: they’ve quickly turned legislation into action. The brief they released, Educators Lead the Way in Mandated Reporting Reform, is a template for how counties across California can embed the intent of AB 2085 into schools to reduce unnecessary child welfare reports by connecting families to the tangible supports they need before a crisis ever begins.
The Data Has Always Told This Story
California’s child welfare system receives nearly 400,000 reports every year. Yet only 1 in 9 children with an allegation of abuse and/or neglect, just over 10%, is substantiated [1]. Almost half of children with an allegation of maltreatment are related to general neglect, a catch-all category that too often brings children and families into Child Protective Services (CPS) for a lack of resources, not for true maltreatment. General neglect allegations are unsubstantiated nearly 80% of the time.
The data further shows that Education accounts for the most reports of maltreatment with nearly 25% of all allegations. Yet across California, those reports are only substantiated 4% of the time. The data is similar In LA County where Education accounts for 24% of all CPS reports, yet only 8% are substantiated.
Four years ago, Safe & Sound helped sound the alarm. In partnership with the Office of Child Abuse Prevention, we released an issue brief shining a light on the over-reporting of neglect and its disproportionate toll on Black and Native families. The momentum it helped build, paved the way for AB 2085. This is not a call to abolish CPS, but rather to examine current policies and practices to increase the precision of reporting with the central objective to ensure families can thrive.
What the Law Changed — and What It Didn’t
AB 2085, signed in 2022 and effective January 2023, revised California’s definition of general neglect to explicitly exclude economic hardship, and requires a substantial risk of serious physical harm before a CPS report is warranted. Most significantly, it gave educators a legal third option: fine support for a family rather than report to CPS when a child’s safety is not in question.
AB 2085 is not a minor technical amendment. It is a legally mandated opportunity to pause, examine a situation, and determine whether a family can be better supported outside of contact with CPS.
Reform Only Works If the Ecosystem Exists
This reform is not about changing what happens inside the child welfare system. It is about building a prevention ecosystem outside of it.
Educators are perfectly positioned to be one piece of that connective tissue. They see families early, notice instability before it becomes a crisis, and have relationships that make hard conversations possible. For years, they had nowhere to turn except the hotline, not because they wanted to report families, but because they had no alternative. AB 2085 changes that, backed by new training, decision-support tools, and an evolving in-school support structure with community linkages. The goal is simple but powerful: connect families to support before a crisis emerges. That is prevention in the truest sense.
Los Angeles Is Leading the Way
In May 2023, the LA County Board of Supervisors unanimously formalized the Mandated Supporting Initiative, producing the state’s first AB 2085-aligned training, a decision-support tool, and a Family Resource Finder. In October 2024, LACOE and MSI convened an Education Summit with more than 130 district leaders from across the county and began rolling out AB 2085 training with educators.
Fast forward to 2026, and LACOE conducted listening sessions with four local education agencies that were early adopters of the AB 2085 training—Inglewood Unified, Lynwood Unified, Lawndale Elementary, and Vaughn Next Century Learning Center. The conversations revealed a clear three-stage framework.
Changing practice requires scenario-based training and clear consultation pathways. Educators need to know who to call before they reach for the hotline.
Shifting systems demands leadership commitment, as well as tangible resources like food, housing, and mental health services that make “support don’t report” a real option.
Sustaining change means embedding training in Human Resource systems, aligning board policy with the law, and securing stable, dedicated funding.
Early results are promising: educator confidence in supporting families increased nearly 30% after training, and 95% of live training participants can correctly define general neglect. But only 1.8% of LA County education staff have been trained so far. The infrastructure is proven. Scale is the next goal.
This is What Child Safety Actually Looks Like
Critics sometimes ask whether reducing reports puts children at risk. This reform takes that question seriously and answers it directly. A caseworker investigating a family whose only issue is unpaid rent is a caseworker not investigating a child in genuine danger. When trained mandated reporters, proven decision-making tools, and community resources can come together to support families navigating everyday hardship, child welfare can focus precisely on the children who truly need protection. That is not a threat to child safety. It is a more effective version of it.
What We Believe
Prevention works. Community-based support builds the conditions for families to thrive and offers a pathway to help when those conditions break down. AB 2085 shows that legislation can set the framework, but it takes real resources, real relationships, and real pathways to make supporting families before a crisis a reality. Los Angeles County is showing what that looks like, and sharing a roadmap for other counties to join the reform.
At Safe & Sound, we recognize the urgency of strengthening the systems that families depend on. Through our new Community Pathway Initiative, we are working alongside trusted community partners to ensure the intent of AB 2085, that poverty is not treated as neglect, means families are connected to a network of organizations and a workforce equipped with the knowledge, skills, and infrastructure to truly show up for them. Join us in building a community where no family has to navigate their hardest moments alone. Learn how you can get involved here.
[1]California Child Welfare Indicators Project (CCWIP), CDSS/UC Berkeley. https://ccwip.berkeley.edu/
She went to the hospital for help. Her family was separated instead.
A mother in our community shared a moment she still carries with her. Her twin sons were not yet two years old when she noticed something was wrong. One child had a limp arm after being in daycare. Like any parent, she rushed her son to the hospital seeking answers, care, and help.
But what should have been a moment of support became something very different. Her son had a broken arm and fractures in both legs. Instead of receiving guidance and support, she was met with suspicion. Instead of being seen as a parent in crisis, she was treated as a subject of investigation.
“That moment should have been the beginning of help,” she said. “Instead, it became the beginning of separation. I walked into the hospital asking for help and I left without my children.”
In the days that followed, fear and confusion took over. The system she turned to for help became one she had to navigate alone. What she needed at that moment was simple, but critical—someone to stand beside her, explain what was happening, and help her care for her child as everything unfolded. A place where asking for help would not lead to fear.
This is what the Community Pathway makes possible.
Through Safe & Sound’s Community Pathway Initiative, families are connected to support before challenges escalate into crisis. Instead of being left to navigate complex systems alone, families are met through trusted community connections such as Family Resource Centers, schools, healthcare providers, and local organizations.
Together, they identify needs early, co-create support plans with families, connect to trauma-informed services, and address root causes like housing instability, stress, and poverty—reducing unnecessary involvement with child welfare and the justice system by supporting them when they need it most.
What this mother needed is exactly what you can help provide today.
With the Community Pathway in place, her story could have been very different—met with coordinated care instead of confusion, supported by a trusted advocate instead of isolation, and guided through a frightening experience with dignity and care. She would not have had to face it alone.
But too many families still do.
For more than 50 years, Safe & Sound has worked to prevent child abuse and strengthen families. Each year, we support thousands of children, parents, and caregivers. But too often families only receive help after a crisis has already begun.
The Community Pathway is changing that by building a coordinated, community-based system of care where support—not surveillance—is the first response.
Will you help make this possible today?
Your gift will:
Strong Families. Strong Futures.
When we care together, families don’t have to face their hardest moments alone. They can get support early, stay connected and can thrive.
Your gift will help us build a Community Pathway where every family is met with care, before the crisis ever begins. Donate today and be a lifeline for families in need. Together, we can build a safer, stronger community for every child.
We are thrilled to announce the publication of the Children, Youth & Family Summit report, which shares the findings from Children, Youth & Family Summit: Aligning for Thriving Communities, held on November 7, 2025, at UC Law San Francisco. Co-hosted by Family Service Alliance and Prosperity Initiative and funded by Safe & Sound and the Crankstart Foundation, the Summit brought together nearly 350 nonprofit leaders, Mayor Daniel Lurie, Board of Supervisor Members, City departments, philanthropy partners, and community members for a first-of-its-kind convening centered on honest, solution-driven conversations about what it takes to better support children, youth, families, and the nonprofit workforce that serves them.
The report reflects four key themes and shared solutions that emerged from the day’s conversations:
We encourage you to read the full report and share it with your networks. We are planning to host the Summit again in November 2026 and would love to have you involved. Please reach out to fsainfo@safeandsound.org if you are interested in participating!
On April 14, 2026, more than 70 people filled the steps of San Francisco City Hall on Polk Street for a Child Abuse Prevention Month press conference and rally, the first SF City Hall event of its kind in years. Every April since 1983, communities across the nation have recognized April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. Dressed in blue, in solidarity with children and families, the crowd gathered to send a unified message: when families are supported, children are safer.
The program, emceed by Safe & Sound CEO Dr. Pegah Faed, featured an impressive lineup: parent and Richmond Neighborhood Center staff member Tiffany Duncan; Supervisors Sherrill, Mandelman, Melgar, Chen, Wong, Sauter, Dorsey, and Mahmood; Human Services Agency Deputy Director Joan Miller; parent leader and SF Fatherhood Initiative founder Joey Cordero; and Family Services Alliance co-chair Mario Paz of Good Samaritan Family Resource Center.
Supervisor Sherrill, who sponsored the event and the Board of Supervisors resolution recognizing April 2026 as Child Abuse Prevention Month, set the tone: “When we talk about public safety here in this city, we have to talk about prevention. No parent knows how to be a parent when their first child is born — it’s a learned skill. Today is about standing up and saying help is here, but we need to provide more.”
The stakes are real. In 2025, more than 4,300 children in San Francisco were the subject of a report of abuse or neglect, and 431 had allegations substantiated. Human Services Agency Deputy Director Joan Miller said, “Prevention works when families have support, resources, and someone to call; children stay safer and they stay together with their families. Together we can continue working towards a San Francisco where families have what they need to thrive and every child grows up safe and supported.”
But here’s what also matters: prevention works. Over the last 20 years, San Francisco has seen a 64% reduction in child abuse and a 51% drop in foster care entries, the direct result of sustained investment in family support. Mario Paz, co-chair of the Family Services Alliance and Executive Director of Good Samaritan Family Resource Center, challenged every leader present to hold the line for children even in tight budget times: “We are here today because there’s no greater commitment in the city than ensuring every child feels safe, protected, loved, and cared for. We cannot retreat from that commitment.”
$333 million. That’s how much child abuse and neglect cost San Francisco in 2025 — across healthcare, child welfare, criminal justice, and a lifetime of lost potential for 431 children. When we invest in family support services, we build the conditions that prevent abuse and neglect before they start and we spend less, save more, and keep children safer. Safe & Sound CEO Dr. Pegah Faed reminded us: “Too often, families are pulled into costly systems when what they really need is support, such as stable housing, child care, or mental health services. Prevention is not just the morally right thing to do, it’s the fiscally responsible choice.”
The voices of parents were at the heart of the rally. Tiffany Duncan, a parent and staff member at Richmond Neighborhood Center, spoke to what community support actually feels like from the inside: “Experiencing support from Safe & Sound has made me more confident as a parent, and has helped me reach out, instead of being afraid to ask for help.” Family support builds five proven protective factors, parental resilience, social connections, knowledge of parenting and child development, children’s social and emotional competence, and concrete support in times of need. When those factors are present, children are safer and families are stronger.
San Francisco has built something real: a network of 45 family support organizations, city departments, public safety partners, and community advocates all working together so that families have what they need before a crisis. The rally on April 14 was a reminder that this network is made of people, neighbors, parents, case workers, and supervisors, who show up because they believe every child in this city deserves to be safe.
Because when we care together, families thrive.
Read more about the accompanying SF Board of Supervisors CAP month resolution and Safe & Sound’s economics of child abuse report..
Thank you to everyone who made this event possible.
City Departments: Human Services Agency · Department on the Status of Women · Department of Early Childhood · Department of Children, Youth and Their Families · Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development · Department of Public Health · Human Rights Commission · Mayor’s Office for Victims’ Rights
Elected Officials: Supervisor Sherrill · Board President Mandelman · Supervisor Melgar · Supervisor Chen · Supervisor Wong · Supervisor Sauter · Supervisor Mahmood · and all members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors · Representatives from Assemblywoman Catherine Stefani’s office
Public Safety & Justice Partners: San Francisco Police Department, Assistant Commander Jonas and Lieutenant Tony Flores · Children’s Advocacy Center of San Francisco · Child Death Review Team · Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Multi-Disciplinary Team · District Attorney Victims’ Services Division · Family Violence Council
Parents & Community: Tiffany Duncan · Joey Cordero · Mario Paz, Good Samaritan Family Resource Center · The 45 member organizations of the Family Services Alliance · All our countless community partners and parents · Safe & Sound Staff
This April, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors officially recognizes Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time to come together as a community and reaffirm a simple but powerful truth: when we care together, families thrive. The 2026 resolution, sponsored by Supervisor Stephen Sherill and signed by Supervisors Myrna Melgar, Rafael Mandelman, Connie Chan, Chyanne Chen, Alan Wong, Bilal Mahmood, Danny Sauter and Matt Dorsey lifts up this year’s California-wide theme, “Strong Families, Safe Futures,” highlighting the importance of prevention, connection, and investing in the well-being of children and families across our city.
Why this matters
Child abuse and neglect, whether physical, emotional, or the absence of basic needs can have lasting impacts on children, families, and entire communities
In San Francisco, thousands of children are impacted each year. Beyond the numbers are real families navigating stress, isolation, and barriers to support. These challenges are not felt equally, BIPOC families are disproportionately impacted, reflecting long-standing systemic inequities.
The good news: child abuse is preventable. When families have access to the right support at the right time, we can reduce harm before it happens.
What prevention looks like in San Francisco
San Francisco continues to invest in prevention strategies that strengthen families before crises occur. Family support organizations like the 44 members of the Family Services Alliance partner with many SF city departments like the Human Services Agency, Department of Early Children and the Department of Children, Youth, and their Families to to provide:
These supports work best when they are accessible, culturally responsive, and free of stigma, meeting families where they are with dignity and respect.
A shared responsibility
Preventing child abuse is not the responsibility of any one system;, it takes all of us. From educators and service providers to neighbors and friends, everyone has a role to play in creating safe, supportive environments for children.
How you can help
This April, let’s move beyond awareness and into action. Together, we can ensure every child grows up in a safe, supported, and thriving family, because strong families truly do build safe futures.
Resolution recognizing the month of April 2026, as Child Abuse Prevention Month in the City and County of San Francisco.
FILE NO. 260377
[Child Abuse Prevention Month – April 2026]
Resolution recognizing April 2026 as “Child Abuse Prevention Month” in the City and County of San Francisco.
WHEREAS, Child Abuse Prevention Month has been observed each April nationally since 1983, bringing communities, organizations, and governments together to affirm their commitment to the safety and well-being of all children; and
WHEREAS, This year’s statewide theme, “Strong Families, Safe Futures,” demonstrates how community well-being depends on the empowerment of families. The tagline “When we care together, families thrive” reiterates our shared responsibility and the power of collective action and community connection; and
WHEREAS, Child abuse – which includes physical, emotional, exploitation, and sexual abuse – and neglect of a child’s basic needs impact not just the child but also the entire family, community, and society at large; and
WHEREAS, Abuse often occurs when families face overwhelming stress without adequate support. The physical, mental, and emotional effects persist long after the harm occurs and result in the ongoing costs to society; and
WHEREAS, in 2025, San Francisco had a reported 4,302 youth with an allegation of child abuse and 431 youth with a substantiation. The preliminary estimations of the cumulative financial impact to the San Francisco community for the 431 verified child victims in 2025 are in excess of $260 million; and
WHEREAS, Abused children are more likely to experience negative educational, health, and behavioral outcomes, which contribute to many of San Francisco’s challenges, such as homelessness, chronic health issues, high school dropout rates; and
WHEREAS, Rates of both allegations and substantiation of child abuse disproportionately impact BIPOC families, requiring an address to issues of structural and systemic racism; and
WHEREAS, Direct investment in social programs for children, youth, and families prevents child abuse and neglect before it occurs, and provides short and long-term benefits that far outweigh the costs of crisis response and treatment; and
WHEREAS, Effective prevention efforts succeed because of collaboration between community, public organizations, and accessible, non-stigmatizing services.
WHEREAS, San Francisco has invested in several key prevention strategies, including the Family Resource Center Initiative, jointly funded by the Human Services Agency, the Department of Early Childhood, and the Department of Children, Youth and Families; and
WHEREAS, San Francisco has a dedicated network of community organizations, family support providers, case workers, advocates, health workers, educators, foster and adoptive families, and volunteers who work tirelessly at every level of prevention, intervention, and treatment; and
WHEREAS, The City and County of San Francisco remains committed to cultivating a city where we continue to raise awareness about child abuse and neglect, the need to support all vulnerable children and their families, and prioritize prevention. Healthy children and supported families are the foundation for communities to thrive; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco hereby recognizes April 2026 as “Child Abuse Prevention Month” in the City and County of San Francisco; and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That all San Franciscans are encouraged to take shared responsibility for child and family well-being, as well as ensuring that every family has what they need to be safe, healthy, and strong; and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the City and County of San Francisco remains steadfast in its efforts to strengthen, expand, and fund the prevention of child abuse and neglect, along with intervention programs to ensure the safety, healing, and long-term well-being of families because when we care together, families thrive.
Safe & Sound CEO Dr. Pegah Faed was recently featured on the Wisconsin Institute for Child and Family Well-being podcast to discuss how narrative change can reshape systems that serve families experiencing stress, isolation, or poverty.
Dr. Faed explains that dominant narratives often frame struggling families as a risk rather than as families in need of support. These perceptions can influence decisions every day in schools, clinics, and mandated-reporting situations. Drawing on findings from Safe & Sound’s Economics of Child Abuse report, showing that roughly 87% of child protective services reports in California are not substantiated; Wisconsin data are nearly identical. These unsubstantiated reports frequently reflect unmet needs such as unstable housing, lack of childcare, and limited access to mental health and economic supports—not child abuse.
This reality underscores a critical opportunity: to shift from a system that reacts to perceived risk toward one that proactively supports family well-being.
Safe & Sound continues to advocate for a child and family well-being system that responds earlier, strengthens community-based supports, and shifts narratives that equate poverty with parental harm. Listen to the full episode.
Read and explore the Economics of Child Abuse report and interactive county data.
We’re proud to share that the historic building housing Safe & Sound at 1757 Waller St. has officially been designated a San Francisco landmark.
Read the full article here: Landmark Status Protecting At-Risk Buildings(Richmond Review / Sunset Beacon, April 3, 2026).
Originally built in 1895 as one of San Francisco’s early firehouses, this building has long been part of the city’s history. For decades, it served as a fire station protecting surrounding neighborhoods. Since 1987, it has been home to Safe & Sound—where we work to prevent child abuse, reduce trauma, and strengthen families.
The landmark designation recognizes both the building’s historic significance and its continued role in serving the community. Today, the same space that once supported first responders now supports children and families in crisis, carrying forward a legacy of care, safety, and protection.
We are honored to continue our work in a place so deeply rooted in San Francisco’s history—and grateful that it will be preserved for generations to come.
Friday, October 16th
6:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Fairmont Hotel
950 Mason Street, San Francisco
Cocktail Reception, Seated Dinner and Dancing!
Cocktail Attire
Join us as we celebrate our achievements and impact with our community of supporters!
Please join us to celebrate and fundraise for the families we serve at Safe & Sound! For more than 52 years, we have been at the forefront of providing programs that keep children safe and families strong. Support our mission at our 29th Annual Blue Ribbon Celebration and help us build brighter futures for our families and community!
Starting as the San Francisco Child Abuse Center in 1973, and now a statewide leader on prevention and family wellness, we are proud of the work we have done for and with children and families. Let’s shape the next 50 years of safe children and strong families…together!
The Blue Ribbon name and symbol are used to show support of child abuse prevention. When the Blue Ribbon Celebration started 29 years ago, Safe & Sound chose the name as a way to honor the vision of a future free from child abuse and neglect.
We are grateful to our generous 2026 sponsors for their support in helping create a safe and strong future for children and families.
The Polk Wealth Management Group
at Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management
Topher & Sloane Conway
Dr. Jennifer Brokaw and Dr. Allen Fry
If you are interested in joining the event host committee, please email Brian.Byrdsong@safeandsound.org.
Tracy Chen
Sloane Conway
Topher Conway
David Guiffrida
Farah Makras
Anna Moy
Katie Riester
Alkey Pandya
Adam Swig
Sarah Whitelaw
The Polk Wealth Management Group
at Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management
Anonymous
Topher & Sloane Conway
P. Wayne Osborne & Gregory R. Price
Anonymous
Anonymous
Adobe Employee Giving Program
Katie Albright & Jake Schatz
Bedford Insurance Brokerage, Inc.
Dr. Jennifer Brokaw and Dr. Allen Fry
Tracy Chen & Tom Schoenherr
Julie & Greg Flynn
Greer Odom Charitable Fund
Mary & Brent Gullixson
Farah & Victor Makras
Jillian Manus & Rob Chesnut
JaMel & Tom Perkins
Tom Steyer & Kat Taylor
Casey Family Programs
Sarah & David Whitelaw
Anonymous
Tina & Joe Bou-Saba
Rachel J. Castillo
The Carmichael Family
Becca Chappell
CohnReznick
Jason & Kat Di Piazza
Patricia Duffy & Les Sherman
Melinda Ellis Evers & William Evers
Faraz Ezazi
Golden State Warriors
JP Morgan
Kaiser Permanente
Lowhurst Family Foundation
Hilary & Jamie Mendola
Liz Moress & Carolyn Otis Catanzaro
Eric Murphy & Timothy Wu
Northern Trust
Polsinelli
Katie & David Riester
SSL Law Firm LLP
TEF Design
UCSF
Laura & James Ward
Safe & Sound is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. A Blue Ribbon Celebration Ticket is valued at $195.
Federal Tax ID number: 94-2455072
Read our Donor Privacy Policy.
Child abuse and neglect, and the trauma they can cause, are complex problems with far-reaching consequences to individuals, communities, and society as a whole. Last year in California there were 46,568 survivors of child abuse and neglect, or 127 children each day. These numbers represent so many missed opportunities for prevention. The total economic burden incurred by California communities for the lifetime costs of these survivors is $16.8 billion. For the same amount, 1.29 million children could be sent to preschool.
The impact on the children, families and communities affected last for a lifetime. You can read more on this page about the long-reaching effects of abuse and toxic stress on impacted children and their families. The data also brings into stark relief the financial cost of the current approach that prioritizes intervention after a crisis has occurred instead of an approach that focuses on prevention.
Child and family well-being is shaped by a complex web of influences—from individual experiences to broader societal conditions. To truly prevent harm and foster resilience, our work is holistic, multi-level, and interconnected, and our Strategic Goals are intentionally woven into each level of the ecological framework of prevention. Whether we are supporting a caregiver in crisis, building trauma-responsive practices within a family-serving organization, or advocating for just policies at the state level, each of Safe & Sound’s goals reflects a commitment to ensuring that children are safe, families are strong, and communities are equipped to thrive.
Safe & Sound’s programming has already achieved remarkable results—reaching over 200,000 individuals in the last 20 years alone, and creating systems-change, contributing to a 64% reduction in the rate of child abuse and a 51% reduction in entries into foster care in San Francisco. But we can’t do this alone. Safe & Sound is powered by people—by all of you who show up, speak out, and stand with families. Thank you for being on the journey with us.
Safe & Sound is leading a bold, transformative effort to reimagine how families in San Francisco—and ultimately across California—access the support they need to thrive. The Community Pathway Initiative aligns all the areas of Safe & Sound’s work, including advocacy, direct services, education and partnership.
Through this Initiative, we are creating long-term, sustainable transformation by building a scalable, upstream, community-based model, leveraging a network of family support centers, designed to reduce child welfare and criminal justice involvement by providing timely, trusted, and trauma-informed care before crises escalate.
This work is a continuation of our vision set out in a 2022 issue brief Creating a Child & Family Well-Being System: A Paradigm Shift from Mandated Reporting to Community Supporting, which laid out a roadmap to shift from a punitive, fear-based reporting model to a supportive, community-based approach, and is supported by the discussions held in our tri-annual Lunch & Learn webinars, the recordings of which you can revisit on this page.
This initiative is a long-term project requiring sustainable funding streams, which could leave a powerful legacy. Safe & Sound will continue to offer updates as we make progress to further this initiative, but if you are interested to know more we would welcome a discussion with you to see how you would be interested to support. You can contact a member of the team by emailing donations@safeandsound.org.
At Safe & Sound, we believe every family has strengths—and with the right support, those strengths can grow into deep, lasting resilience.
As part of our strengths-based, public health approach, we have integrated the Center for the Study of Social Policy’s Protective Factors Framework into our core practice model. Importantly, the Protective Factors are not just tools for working with individual families—they also reflect the conditions communities and systems must create to ensure all families can thrive.
Over the past several years, emerging research has reinforced what we at Safe & Sound have long recognized: that child and family well-being is shaped by a dynamic, interconnected set of forces that extend far beyond the home. Stanford’s New Ecology of Early Childhood (2025) calls attention to how today’s families are navigating a dramatically evolving landscape—one marked by rising economic inequality, climate change, technology-driven isolation, and intensified systemic racism and social inequities. This research underscores the importance of holistic, community-based prevention strategies—strategies that Safe & Sound has embedded within our own Ecological Framework of Prevention.
To bring this framework to life, we developed the Resilience Tree—a visual representation of how the Five Protective Factors and the Domains of Wellness work together to support individual and family well-being. Just like a tree needs strong roots and nurturing conditions to flourish, families need stability, connection, knowledge, and support to thrive.
Protective Factors: Interrelated attributes or conditions in families and communities that simultaneously (a) prevent or mitigate the effect of exposure to risk factors and stressful life events, and (b) build family strengths and a family environment that promotes optimal child development.
Domains of Wellness: This is an evidenced-based set of skills cocreated by the Center for Youth Wellness that actively build resilience and buffer the effects of toxic stress. These skills include: proper nutrition, good sleep hygiene, exercise, mindfulness, spending time in nature, attuning to one’s mental health, and having supportive relationships.
The Resilience Tree is both a symbol and a tool: a guide for how we build resilience from the ground up, while also reminding us that lasting impact requires strong, supportive environments rooted in equity, access, and care. Through this model, we connect our direct service work to broader systems change—because prevention begins not just with families, but with the world around them.
Our guiding principles reflect the core truths that guide how we understand the challenges facing children and families—and how meaningful, lasting change happens. Grounded in research, lived experience, and decades of practice, these beliefs shape our strategies, inform our theory of action, and serve as the foundation for how we design and deliver our work. They are the lens through which we see the world and the reason we pursue this mission with urgency and care.