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.