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Child Abuse Prevention Month (CAP Month) is a time for communities to rally together to build caring connections, supportive environments, and positive experiences for children and families. During the month of April and throughout the year, families and communities can work together to strengthen families to prevent child abuse and neglect. Through this collaboration, prevention services and supports help protect children and produce thriving families.

For Federal Fiscal Year 2023, there were 546,159 victims of child abuse and neglect.
(HHS Child Maltreatment 2023 Report)

The California Training Institute (CalTrin) provides year-round training and education opportunities to support family-serving professionals working throughout California (and beyond). In addition to our diverse schedule of live webinars, the CalTrin website features recordings and resources from prior trainings, access to self-paced courses, and new microlearning opportunities. By committing to routinely plan for professional development, you can improve outcomes for the children and families you serve.

See below for all the ways to get involved in Child Abuse Prevention Month! Throughout April, CalTrin will share additional resources and professional development opportunities for preventing child abuse and neglect. Join the conversation by following CalTrin on LinkedIn or Facebook (@caltrin). 

Child Abuse Prevention Month Resources & Toolkits

Whether by proclamation, through social media, event participation, or by other means, spreading the word throughout April about child abuse prevention lets your community know there are actions we can take to strengthen families and help them thrive. Get started with the below resources and toolkits from national and state partners!

California Training Institute

Hey, that’s us! At CalTrin, we are passionate about advancing child abuse prevention through professional development. Our innovative learning model enables child- and family-serving professionals to choose training and educational experiences that work for their schedule, learning style, and career path—all at no cost to learners. During Child Abuse Prevention Month and year-round, we invite you to explore our free learning opportunities and curated resource collections:

Note: You will need to log in to your CalTrin account to access the self-paced courses and select archived training materials. You can create a free account here.

California Department of Social Services, Office of Child Abuse Prevention & The Child Abuse Prevention Center

During CAP Month and throughout the year, the CDSS Office of Child Abuse Prevention (OCAP) and the Child Abuse Prevention Center (CAP Center) encourage you to help raise awareness that child abuse and neglect are preventable. The 2025 CAP Month theme, It Takes a Village, was selected by California’s prevention partners. Support systems for families look very different than they did in the past. It’s proven that families who feel supported by their community and have better access to resources are better equipped to provide a safe, nurturing home for their children. Let’s come together and be the village that is needed.

The following resources are designed to amplify your agency’s messaging and extend your learning on prevention and family strengthening:

The CAP Month Toolkit features resources, talking points, social media tools, and other family-strengthening tips and activities to enhance and elevate your agency’s engagement throughout CAP Month. Download it today!

California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare

Visit our partner project’s Prevention and Early Intervention topic area to learn about evidence-based primary and secondary prevention programs, including:

Capacity Building Center for States

The Center for States helps child welfare agencies strengthen the ability of communities to support children and families so that children can thrive at home. Explore the Center’s Prevention-Focused Systems topic to learn more about preventing maltreatment, preventing foster care entry, and increasing child and family well-being by strengthening families in their communities before problems occur or escalate. View the Center’s National Child Abuse Prevention Month bulletin for more resources!

Chadwick Center for Children & Families

The Chadwick Center is an accredited children’s advocacy center (CAC) within Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego. It is one of the largest hospital-based CACs and trauma treatment centers in the nation, providing family-focused and trauma-informed services to children and adolescents who may have experienced or witnessed maltreatment, abuse, or violence.

Throughout April, Dr. Shalon Nienow, Medical Director and Child Abuse Pediatrician at the Chadwick Center, shared basic strategies and concrete parenting tips for prevention. Check out the following videos:

We invite you to share these videos on your agency’s social media channels throughout CAP Month — and please tag the Chadwick Center on Facebook, X, and Instagram!

Children’s Bureau / Child Welfare Information Gateway

During the month of April, the Children’s Bureau and Child Welfare Information Gateway recognize National Child Abuse Prevention Month (NCAPM) and the importance of communities working together to help families thrive and prevent child maltreatment. The 2025 NCAPM campaign will align with the Children’s Bureau’s 24th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN) theme: Doing Things Differently: Believing in Communities. This theme reflects the idea that communities can come together to support family well-being rather than focus only on responding to incidents of child abuse and neglect. The well-being of children cannot be separated from the well-being of their families and communities.

Visit the NCAPM website to access current data, publications, customizable graphics, sample messages, templates, and more! 

National Children’s Alliance

Child abuse thrives when good people decide it’s none of their business. The National Children’s Alliance created the #ItsYourBusiness campaign to educate community members on the signs of child abuse and what it takes to make the report. Explore all #ItsYourBusiness campaign assets and use the various resources to initiate critical conversations with your friends, family, neighbors, and community and institutional leaders. (Need these resources in other languages? You can download many in Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese.)

Prevent Child Abuse America

Prevent Child Abuse America recognizes that all community members have a role in ensuring children have positive experiences and families have the resources they need when needed, well before they are in crisis. The theme of this year’s Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Month awareness and impact campaign that Prevent Child Abuse America leads in partnership with their national network of state chapters is Building A Hopeful Future, Together, focusing on creating a nurturing and supportive environment for children and families across the nation. Visit their CAP Month website for ways to get involved, including:

Mark Your Calendars! Child Abuse Prevention Month Events & Activities

24th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN)
The 24th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN), sponsored by the Children’s Bureau, will be held April 1–3, 2025, at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Rockville, Maryland. This year’s theme is Doing Things Differently: Believing in Communities. Innovative sessions will focus on developing ideas-to-action strategies and provide opportunities to exchange ideas and learn what works from community members and peers. The conference will also offer plenaries, workshops, posters, and exhibits that highlight Children’s Bureau priority areas. Learn more.

 

 

Wear Blue to Show Support for Child Abuse Prevention
Join us in wearing blue on Friday, April 4! Post a photo of you and your colleagues, friends, or family on Wear Blue Day, and TELL US what prevention means to you in the caption. For example, “We wear blue so that all kids can have happy and safe childhoods.” Don’t forget to tag us and use the hashtags: #WearBlue4Kids #WearBlueDay #RadyWearsBlue #ChadwickCPTWearsBlue

 

 

CAP Month logoChild Abuse Prevention Month Webinar Series
Hosted by the Office of Child Abuse Prevention, in partnership with the Child Abuse Prevention Center and CalTrin, the 2025 Child Abuse Prevention Month Webinar Series brings an opportunity to explore solutions for children and families disproportionately impacted by the child welfare system through culturally responsive services and truly upstream solutions. Participants will hear from and engage with a diverse set of professionals in the upcoming webinars below. Save the dates! This weekly webinar series will be held on Wednesdays in April from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

 

Kids Art: 5th Annual Art Contest
The Office of Child Abuse Prevention and The Child Abuse Prevention Center present the 5th Annual Child Abuse Prevention Month Art Contest with the theme: Who are the people in your neighborhood? The Contest is open to children and youth in the following categories:  K-2nd, 3rd-6th, 7th-8th, and 9th-12th. The deadline for entries is Wednesday, April 9, 2025. View the Contest flyer.

 

 

Children’s Memorial Flag Day
On the fourth Friday in April every year, the Children’s Memorial Flag is flown statewide in memory of all California young lives lost to violence in the previous year. We invite you to participate in this day of remembrance on Friday, April 25, by sharing a photo with the memorial flag and the hashtag: #FlagsHonoringYoungLivesLost. Access the toolkit here.

 

 

 

Plant Pinwheels for Prevention®
By its very nature, the pinwheel connotes playfulness, joy, and childhood. It has become the national symbol for child abuse prevention and a physical reminder of the great childhoods we want for all children. Throughout April, organizations across America will host their own Pinwheels for Prevention® campaigns. For example, staff from Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego and the Chadwick Center for Children & Families will plant a pinwheel garden along the main entrance to the Chadwick Center. Agencies can coordinate their own pinwheel event or take part in other national/state campaigns! Learn more about Prevent Child Abuse America‘s virtual Pinwheel Garden ($10 donation). Participate in the Office of Child Abuse Prevention’s virtual #PassThePinwheel campaign by simply posting a photo(s) throughout April of you and your colleagues, friends, or family with pinwheels! Don’t forget to briefly explain what they mean to you and the #PassThePinwheel hashtag. Download a pinwheel coloring sheet!

 

Child abuse prevention is a year-round effort. If you suspect a child’s health or safety is jeopardized due to abuse or neglect by parents or another caretaker who has custody of the child, contact the child protective services agency in your County. Click here to access the California Department of Social Services hotline list by County. These 24-hour hotlines are staffed by trained Social Workers. Outside of California, the ChildHelp National Child Abuse Hotline is available 24 hours/7 days a week at 1-800-422-4553 (text or call).

*Last updated February 4, 2025

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