Right Column
The California State Children`s Trust Fund
FACT SHEET
The California we dream about is for safe, healthy kids living in supportive families and communities. But this vision has dimmed. In 1995, more than 690,000 child abuse and neglect reports were received in California. The initial cost to taxpayers once a child is abused is immense. $1.5 billion is spent each year on services for children who are abused or in danger. The cost to taxpayers and society continues to escalate because children who are abused, neglected or exploited are at high risk for school failure, drug addiction, juvenile crime, premature sexual activity, and welfare dependency.
Families have the primary responsibility for their children. The California State Children's Trust Fund (CSCTF) promotes programs that gently and supportively place the responsibility of caring for children in the parent's hands.
The CSCTF funds creative programs that reach communities from the inside out. These programs use the community's natural infrastructure (libraries, hospitals, churches, schools, colleges, police stations, banks and clinics) to provide services that work to strengthen the family. The goal of these programs is to provide assistance to at-risk families before children get hurt.
The CSCTF funds programs that bring about changes to help strengthen families. Recent programs include:
- Helping neighborhoods in assessing and solving their needs for a safer environment in which to raise children.
- Providing school-based services to families of children who are in danger of abuse and neglect. Crisis assistance is provided when there are signs of potential abuse.
- Conducting public awareness campaigns on the issues of child abuse and neglect. The "Never Shake a Baby" is a statewide campaign that stresses the danger of shaking an infant.
- Providing voluntary in-home services to families at risk. This includes responding to special needs of families beginning from prenatal to five years of age with available community resources.
- Providing service programs for abandoned and drug exposed babies, including drug and alcohol treatment for pregnant and parenting women.
HOW CAN I DONATE TO THE CSCTF?
- Voluntary donations on Line 56 of the California State Income Tax Return form.
- Fundraisers such as "Run for their Lives" -- an eight km run and one mile "fun" run.
- "Kids Plate" automobile license plate sales.
- United Way campaign.
- United California State Employees campaign.
- California Loves Kids
- Voluntary direct donations by writing to:
California Department of Social Services
Office of Child Abuse Prevention
744 P Street - M.S. 11-82
Sacramento, California 95814
(916)651-6960 (phone)
(916)651-6328 (FAX)
HOW MUCH SHOULD I DONATE?
The mission of the Office of Child Abuse Prevention (OCAP) in the California Department of Social Services is to prevent child abuse and neglect. OCAP desires to protect our State's greatest resources, the children, by helping families to be responsible for their children. The California Legislature established the CSCTF in 1983 to support this purpose.