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.
Safe & Sound is delighted to welcome Kula Koenig as our new Chief Policy Officer. Kula brings more than a decade of experience advancing policies that support children, families, and community wellbeing. At a time when families are facing increasing pressure from cuts to essential social services, her leadership comes at a critical moment for our work. Kula is excited to help advance Safe & Sound’s mission to strengthen families and prevent child abuse through thoughtful policy and systems change.
Most recently, Kula served as Chief Program Officer at Public Health Advocates, where she led Defend California, a statewide public health movement, and All Children Thrive, supporting youth across more than 30 cities to pass trauma-informed policies that promote children’s mental health. She is also the founder of the Social Justice PolitiCorps, a Sacramento-based nonprofit that builds civic participation and leadership in communities most impacted by structural inequities.
Kula’s previous roles include Senior Director at the United Way California Capital Region, District Director for a California legislator, and Government Relations Director at the American Heart Association, where she helped advance policies on safe drinking water, childhood nutrition, and tobacco reduction. She has also served as President of the Sacramento chapter of Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA).
A survivor of the Liberian civil war and a former refugee, Kula grounds her leadership in the belief that policy, prevention, and civic engagement must be inclusive, accessible, and healing. She is honored to join Safe & Sound and looks forward to advancing policies that strengthen families and communities across California.
As we close the year and look forward to what is on the horizon, I want to focus on something at the heart of Safe & Sound – the feeling of hope.
Hope is not abstract. It’s what carries us through the hard moments – the belief that better days are not just possible, they are coming. This past year has tested that belief. Families across San Francisco are struggling, and for Safe & Sound, the road has not been easy.
But hope is not just something we feel – it is something we build together.
Each day, 127 children in California are confirmed victims of abuse or neglect – yet through early intervention, education, and support, Safe & Sound has helped reduce child abuse in San Francisco by 64% over the past two decades.
While challenges persist, your partnership ensures that our work continues to make a real difference – bringing hope and healing to children and families in San Francisco and beyond.
Last year alone, thanks to you, we:
Just earlier this month we brought joy to more than 600 local children through our annual Holiday Toy Store, enabling families to have the festive season they dreamed of, and back in November we helped to host a first-of-its-kind convening for 350 City officials, philanthropic partners, and community members, including San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, to find coordinated solutions that ensure our city is a place where families can live and children have the resources required to succeed.
That’s what building hope looks like, in action.
And the effect is profound. When parents are supported and children feel safe, they can dream bigger. That’s why at Safe & Sound we focus on the roots – the place where strong families grow. We strengthen parents and families before a crisis occurs. We advocate for systems that lift families up instead of tearing them down.
As we look to the future, Safe & Sound will continue to be bold, ambitious and hopeful. We are building a clear pathway to community support and evolving our programs and services to meet the changing needs of our community. Through our transformative Community Pathway Initiative, we are shaping a future free from childhood trauma, where all children, families, and communities are safe, supported, and loved. We believe that the work we do today will have implications for generations to come, for the children and families that we meet directly, and those touched by the reforms we champion.
I want to thank our dedicated staff and volunteers, our passionate Board Members, and most importantly, the brave children and families who walk through our doors or reach out to us every day for support – they are at the center of who we are, what we do, how we do it, and why we are here.
But all of this would not be possible without you. On behalf of the Safe & Sound team, I wish you and your loved ones a happy and prosperous 2026, and thank you for your ongoing commitment to our mission.
Together, we are tending the roots.
Together, we are building hope.
Together, we are Safe & Sound.
Thank you, and Happy Holidays
The holidays are a time for joy, laughter and giving special gifts to our loved ones. However, for some families struggling with rising costs, this can be a source of increased stress and potential disappointment for children who would have to go without.
That’s why, each year, Safe & Sound hosts a Holiday Toy Store, giving parents the opportunity to book a shopping appointment so they can browse and choose the perfect gift for their child, from items generously donated by individuals and businesses.
What makes this initiative so special is not just the outcome, but how teamwork from all our staff and wider community brings it together. To create this magical 3-day event takes a huge effort from people across the organization, taking on tasks such as: receiving donated gifts; making an inventory; booking timed shopping sessions with families to ensure a stress-free and efficient process for the shoppers; receiving, collecting and unboxing deliveries; setting up and decorating the store to make it a cheerful and welcoming holiday themed space; staffing the store during the browsing time; and providing childcare for the parents shopping. Every role matters, and every act of support contributes to the joy that fills our space.
Seeing the magic of the festive season come to life for the children while easing some of the pressure for their parents and caregivers, makes it all worthwhile. We were delighted that more than 300 families came to shop at the Toy Store last weekend, choosing gifts for over 630 children during the three days.
This year we were honored to have San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie stop by to see the Toy Store in action and chat to some of the shoppers and staff.
The holiday toy store initiative is entirely funded and stocked by generous donations. If you would like to support us this holiday season so we can continue our vital work and give even more offerings next year, please donate today.
Safe & Sound’s new online calendar allows website visitors to easily visualize upcoming events and reserve their place.
The calendar will show all the types of events that Safe & Sound runs, including groups, workshops and parties for parents and families, volunteering opportunities, fundraising events, and professional development training sessions. The calendar will also make it easier for families to know when the Safe & Sound office is closed for holidays.
Through a seamless integration with our other online systems, from early next year, parents and caregivers wil be able to use the calendar to sign up to events where reservation is required, and volunteers to browse and sign up for shifts online.
This calendar was made possible through support accessed via the Hellman Foundation’s Catchafire portal, which brings together volunteers and nonprofits for one-off projects and expert consultation.
The full calendar is available on this page and users can use the category drop down in the top right to filter for their events of interest. So take a look and start browsing today!
When I first came to Safe & Sound in 2022, I felt overwhelmed. I was caring for my 5-year-old son with special needs and my baby daughter, and I didn’t know where to turn for help. Navigating the school system for my son and finding the right resources for both of my children felt impossible.
Then I found Safe & Sound. I began attending Supportive Family Services, parent workshops, Parent Cafés, and sensory play sessions. Each visit brought a sense of hope I hadn’t felt in a long time. My desire to grow as a parent led me to enroll in the Integrated Family Services (IFS) program, where I received guidance and worked towards my goals.
Safe & Sound became a lifeline for our family. Through therapy for my son, play sessions for both my children, and guidance from the staff, I found hope and the tools to help my children thrive. My son is learning to manage his emotions, make friends, and settle at school. My daughter is flourishing. Safe & Sound feels like a second home for our family.
Building a Brighter Future
Safe & Sound also encouraged me to follow my passion for baking. I’ve started taking small orders for cakes, cupcakes, and cookies, and even baked desserts for Safe & Sound community events. With their support, I’m taking real steps toward building a small business to create a stable future for my family.
Your Gift Makes a Difference
None of this would be possible without donors like you. Your generosity provides therapy, parenting support, and safe spaces for children — helping families like mine turn challenges into opportunities.
This holiday season, I hope you will join me in giving the gift of hope. Your donation ensures that Safe & Sound can continue helping families face life’s toughest moments, grow stronger, and dream bigger. Your support wraps families in care, guidance, and opportunity — giving children the chance to thrive and parents the tools to lead with confidence.
How Your Support Helps Families Like Mine
My journey with Safe & Sound has been one of resilience, growth, and hope. With their support, I’ve learned how to help my children thrive, believe in myself, and take steps toward a brighter future for our family. Thank you for partnering with Safe & Sound — and for giving families like mine the support we need to grow stronger.
Warm Regards,
Janani
Parent and a Client of Safe & Sound
The holidays can often be an expensive time of year, with the kiddos home from school needing entertainment, and festive meals and gifts to buy. Have a look at our ideas for days out and gifts that won’t break the bank.
1] Slide the day away!
Grab an old piece of cardboard and the kids and make your way to the Seward Slides. These concrete slides are built into the side of the hill and have been around for more than 40 years. Pro tip, if you’re looking to go a little faster put a piece wax paper between the cardboard and the slide. More info.
2] Tour the lights
Put on your shoes and head out for an early evening urban hike (or bus / drive if you prefer) to take a tour of the awesome holiday light displays around the city and in your local neighbourhood. At Yerba Buena Gardens they will be lighting the tree on December 6th, so take your cocoa and watch it glow. More info.
3] Find your fortune (cookie)
As we near a new year, it’s the perfect time to find out what good fortune is in store for next year. Whether you believe in the wisdom of the fortune cookie or not, it’s still fun to visit Golden Gate Fortune Cookies and read the words on that tiny little white paper. And, hey, it’s educational too. How does the fortune get inside the cookie? Go find out. More info.
4] Step inside City Hall
City Hall sits there at the helm of our Civic Center. Its grandeur and often changing lights are hard to miss. But if you have never stepped inside, you’re missing a lot. The outside is spectacular, but the inside is something to behold. Did you know that the dome is the fifth largest in the world (and that there are actually two domes)? Swing left after you head inside to take a look at the replicas. More info.
5] Scavenger hunt
There are items hidden all around the city. Go find them. Geocaching is like a giant scavenger hunt that anyone can play. Although it’s created to use with technology / GPS it’s way more fun if you rely on just your wits. So check out the website, uncode some riddles, and start the hunt. There are 4,256 things to find around San Francisco — so you probably don’t have to go far to find one. More info.
6] See great art
Brew up a cup of cocoa, grab a coat, and wind your way through the alleys of the Mission. Although this city is full of great museums, this free outdoor art is amongst the best San Francisco has to offer. More info.
7] Visit a museum
The Cable Car is the first moving national historic landmark — how cool is that? Drop by the Cable Car Museum and learn how it all works. You can even watch the giant cables turn, moving the cars up and down the hills of San Francisco. More info. Many museums in the city have free days – have a look at this list for options.
8] Do kid and family friendly activities
This site has many suggestions for fun and cheap days out with kids, organized by date. More info. And the San Francisco Public Library often has age-appropriate activities in different branches – have a look at the list.
And remember, you can always visit Safe & Sound during Parent Drop in hours and bring your kiddo to spend time in the playroom. You can find the open hours on this page.
1] Handmade coupons
Create coupons for things your child is always asking for, e.g. play their favourite game, movie night of their choice, help me bake cookies, stay up 30 minutes later, etc. Or you could give a “voucher” for a special day out (park, picnic, hike), treasure hunt, or choose dinner night.
2] DIY arts & crafts kit
Gather leftover craft supplies (scraps of ribbon, paper, buttons, beads, stickers) into a jar or box. Include a sheet of ideas/instructions (make a card, decorate a frame, make a new toy etc.).
3] Use photo memories
Use popsicle sticks, cardboard cutouts, printed photos and decorative paper to make a collage, frame or memory book.
4] Nature gift
Collect pine cones, rocks, shells, and make a “nature collection kit” with a little note. Or plant seeds in small cups and give “your own little garden” gift.
5] Free educational printables
Many websites offer free coloring pages, puzzles, activity booklets you can print. If your child is interested in astronomy you can print them a booklet from The Universe in my Pocket. The San Francisco Public Library offers free daily printing to all card holders.
6] Consumables
Make a hot chocolate mix or cocoa bomb in a jar so it can be easily mixed up for a delicious treat.
Every December, Safe & Sound transforms into a festive Holiday Toy Store, where parents and caregivers can shop for new toys, books, and warm clothing for their children — all at no cost. Speak to your care coordinator to book your shopping slot at this year’s toy store.
The Family Services Alliance and Prosperity Initiative, funded by Safe & Sound and the Crankstart Foundation, brought together City officials, philanthropic partners, and community members for the Children, Youth, and Family Summit in early November.
This first-of-its-kind convening, held at UC Law San Francisco, underscored the critical role of nonprofits serving children, youth, and families in San Francisco. Discussions highlighted how coordinated investments across City departments and private funders strengthen outcomes for families, and how improving nonprofit job quality is essential to sustaining these vital services. The Summit also highlighted the need for different groups to work together and share responsibility, making sure the City’s programs for children, youth, and families, like education, housing, health, and family support, are connected and work as one effective system. As the backbone agency of the Family Services Alliance, Safe & Sound works with government and community partners to strengthen the ability of FRCs and other community-based organizations to build the web of support needed to support families effectively across the city.
San Francisco has the least children of the nation’s 20 largest metros. In 2024, less than 19% of the area’s population was under 18. The Summit offered solutions for the City to be more family-friendly to ensure San Francisco is a place where families can live and children have the resources required to succeed.
“Our administration is working every day to make sure San Francisco is a city where families can afford to stay and thrive. That means safe neighborhoods, housing that working class families can afford, and a world-class public school system. In partnership with city departments, nonprofits, and philanthropic groups, we can make sure every kid in San Francisco has the chance to grow, learn, and thrive from cradle to career.” – San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie
Children and families are essential to San Francisco’s economic and social future. As one of the most rapidly aging metropolitan areas in the country, San Francisco faces demographic shifts that threaten its workforce, innovation, and revitalization efforts. Reversing these trends requires strong, coordinated investment in the systems that help families remain in San Francisco. Investments in the wellbeing of the City’s children and families are investments in San Francisco’s future. In partnership with government and community organizations, Safe & Sound advocates for laws, policies, and practices that keep children safe and families together in San Francisco and beyond.
“We’re grateful for the momentum and partnership shown at today’s summit. We look forward to more innovative collaboration and continued support by the City, so every San Francisco child, youth, family, and the nonprofits that support them have what they need to succeed” said Virginia Taylor, spokesperson for Safe & Sound and the Family Services Alliance.
The Summit was a great success with around 350 leaders, including representatives from 11 city departments, 80+ nonprofit organizations, 4 Board of Supervisors, 20 foundations and Mayor Lurie attending. The event enabled participants to have solution-driven conversations to build a more coordinated and sustainable future for San Francisco’s children, youth, families, and the workforce that supports them. Through robust discussions and panels, the Summit showcased the important work nonprofits, city agencies, and community partners are doing across the City.
Our final virtual Lunch & Learn for 2025 explored the path from a mandated report to community pathway support, and the trust needed across Families, Agencies, and Community Based Organizations to make it work. We explored the specific example of the Strong Families and Communities program in San Francisco – a collaboration involving San Francisco Human Services Agency, Safe & Sound, Instituto, and other Community Based Organizations, which demonstrates an innovative approach to supporting families by building trust where it may have been broken.
In 2024, there were 4,204 children in San Francisco City and County with an allegation of physical abuse (25%) or general neglect (35%). Around 38% of those allegations were Evaluated Out. That means the hotline screener determined that the allegation of abuse or neglect, as defined by law, could not be substantiated or that the report lacked sufficient information to proceed. However, we know from the data that many of those reports indicate that a family lacked resources and supports, they were experiencing poverty, and/or they needed some parenting help. The Strong Families and Communities program offers to connect those families with an appropriate Community Based Organization, such as Safe & Sound, to offer them the resources they may need.
In today’s webinar we discussed how this program works in practice from three different perspectives: the Human Services Agency, Safe & Sound, and a parent involved in the program. We are grateful to our expert panel for joining Safe & Sound CEO Dr. Pegah Faed in this conversation:
San Francisco Child Welfare Report 2024
San Francisco Human Services Agency (SFHSA) Family and Children’s Services (FCS) annually publishes this report to inform the public and encourage efforts to address disproportionality in our child welfare system.
San Francisco Comprehensive Prevention Plan
County child welfare agencies and/or probation departments receiving the State Block Grant for the Family First Prevention Services (FFPS) Program were required to develop a three-year comprehensive prevention plan. This comprehensive prevention plan is a roadmap that outlines the services that the agency will provide that address the needs identified in the assessments completed.
Consent and Information Sharing Toolkit
This Toolkit created by Public Works Alliance is designed to help providers, counties and managed care plans better understand and apply rules of information sharing related to Medi-Cal services for families in child welfare.
In addition to participating in this program, Safe & Sound is helping to lead two statewide initiatives that relate to Mandated Reporting. Specifically, Safe & Sound continues to help advance Mandated Reporting reform in California through the Mandated Reporting Advisory Committee, the body that is implementing a set of reform recommendations we helped to develop. Safe & Sound is also at the forefront of building strong community pathways so families can get support where they live, before systems have to step in.
That work—and reforms like mandated reporting changes—only happen if parents, caregivers, and communities trust us, which is why this year’s Lunch & Learn webinar series was so relevant.
We hope you will join us again in 2026 for the next series.