20250SCR_013097CHP INTRODUCED 2026-02-19 PASSED_ASSEMBLY 2026-05-14 PASSED_SENATE 2026-04-27 ENROLLED 2026-05-15 CHAPTERED 2026-05-21 FILED 2026-05-21 2025 SCR CHP CHR 0 Introduced by Senator Grove (Coauthors: Senators Allen, Alvarado-Gil, Archuleta, Arreguín, Ashby, Becker, Blakespear, Cabaldon, Caballero, Cervantes, Choi, Cortese, Dahle, Durazo, Gonzalez, Grayson, Hurtado, Jones, Laird, Limón, McGuire, McNerney, Menjivar, Niello, Ochoa Bogh, Padilla, Pérez, Reyes, Richardson, Rubio, Seyarto, Smallwood-Cuevas, Stern, Strickland, Umberg, Valladares, Wahab, Weber Pierson, and Wiener) LEAD_AUTHOR SENATE Grove COAUTHOR SENATE Allen COAUTHOR SENATE Alvarado-Gil COAUTHOR SENATE Archuleta COAUTHOR SENATE Arreguín COAUTHOR SENATE Ashby COAUTHOR SENATE Becker COAUTHOR SENATE Blakespear COAUTHOR SENATE Cabaldon COAUTHOR SENATE Caballero COAUTHOR SENATE Cervantes COAUTHOR SENATE Choi COAUTHOR SENATE Cortese COAUTHOR SENATE Dahle COAUTHOR SENATE Durazo COAUTHOR SENATE Gonzalez COAUTHOR SENATE Grayson COAUTHOR SENATE Hurtado COAUTHOR SENATE Jones COAUTHOR SENATE Laird COAUTHOR SENATE Limón COAUTHOR SENATE McGuire COAUTHOR SENATE McNerney COAUTHOR SENATE Menjivar COAUTHOR SENATE Niello COAUTHOR SENATE Ochoa Bogh COAUTHOR SENATE Padilla COAUTHOR SENATE Pérez COAUTHOR SENATE Reyes COAUTHOR SENATE Richardson COAUTHOR SENATE Rubio COAUTHOR SENATE Seyarto COAUTHOR SENATE Smallwood-Cuevas COAUTHOR SENATE Stern COAUTHOR SENATE Strickland COAUTHOR SENATE Umberg COAUTHOR SENATE Valladares COAUTHOR SENATE Wahab COAUTHOR SENATE Weber Pierson COAUTHOR SENATE Wiener Relative to Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Child Abuse Prevention Month Child Abuse Prevention Month. This measure would acknowledge April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. NO

WHEREAS, Preventing child abuse and neglect means strengthening families so that their children can thrive; and

WHEREAS, Child abuse and neglect continue to pose serious threats to our nation’s children; and

WHEREAS, In 2024, according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, 44,943 children in California were found to be victims of child abuse or neglect; and

WHEREAS, Children who have been abused or neglected have a higher risk of developing various health problems as adults, including alcoholism, depression, drug abuse, eating disorders, obesity, suicide, and certain chronic diseases; and

WHEREAS, California’s children deserve to grow up in a safe and nurturing environment, free from fear, abuse, and neglect; and

WHEREAS, Statewide, child abuse and neglect cases disproportionately involve children of color; and

WHEREAS, Effective programs succeed because of partnerships among human services agencies, community-based organizations, schools, faith-based organizations, law enforcement, and the business community; and

WHEREAS, Family resource centers continue to play a key role in preventing child abuse and neglect in their communities by being community-based, family-focused, and culturally sensitive collaborative organizations that provide programs and services based on the needs of families; and

WHEREAS, Child abuse and neglect have long-term economic and societal costs; and

WHEREAS, Maltreated children are 77 percent more likely to require special education than children who are not maltreated and are 59 percent more likely to be arrested as juveniles than their peers who are not maltreated; and

WHEREAS, Long-term health care costs for adult survivors of childhood physical and sexual abuse are 21 percent higher than for nonvictims; and

WHEREAS, Adolescent survivors of child maltreatment are twice as likely to be unemployed as adults and are more likely to receive public assistance than their peers who were not maltreated; and

WHEREAS, By one well-respected prevalence estimate, 11.5 percent of all children experience child maltreatment in any given year, which implies that the total economic burden in California could be as high as $284,000,000,000; and

WHEREAS, Providing community-based prevention services to families whose children may be at risk of child abuse or neglect is less costly than addressing the emotional and physical damage that can result from child abuse and neglect; and

WHEREAS, Providing community-based prevention services to those families can help avoid the costs of protective services, law enforcement, the judicial system, foster care, and the treatment of adults recovering from abuse as children; and

WHEREAS, Victims of child abuse, whether the abuse is physical, sexual, or emotional, or a combination of these, should have access to a safe place to live, appropriate medical care, and counseling or mental health services; and

WHEREAS, In recent years, Prevent Child Abuse America, The Child Abuse Prevention Center, the California Family Resource Association, and other groups have organized campaigns to increase public awareness of child abuse and to promote ways to prevent child abuse; and

WHEREAS, Each year, the President of the United States issues a proclamation announcing April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month; and

WHEREAS, Pinwheels are displayed to increase the awareness of child abuse and to focus on the positive message of preventing child abuse and neglect by supporting families and strengthening communities during Child Abuse Prevention Month;

now, therefore,

be it Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby acknowledges the month of April as Child Abuse Prevention Month; and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.