Developed and helped foster successful passage of a California state law permitting funding for “family preservation,” which provides support and allows appropriate families to stay together in cases where children might otherwise be placed in foster care
Provided the leadership to establish the Solano County Children’s Trust Fund, which raises more than $100,000 annually for child abuse prevention services in Solano County
Worked to create a system of Family Resource Centers, which provide family support services in every city in the county for more than 4,000 at-risk families each year
Advocated successfully for the county to maintain and increase the amount of money available for child care for families in the state’s welfare-to-work program, who today receive more than $8 million annually in child care subsidies
Persuaded the County Board of Supervisors and all seven local city councils to adopt a set of Policy Principles that provide a framework for successful delivery of children’s services
Supported the Board of Supervisors in adopting the goal of improving the lives of children as its top priority for 2001-2003
Provided child development training and/or stipends to more than 400 early education professionals to support high quality child care in the first year of the Compensation and Retention Encourage Stability (CARES) program
Helped develop and coordinate the Integrated Family Support Initiative, a home-visiting program that allowed for nearly 1,000 visits to isolated, at-risk families in its first year, 2001
Raised awareness of children’s needs through publication of The Children’s Budget and The Children’s Report Card, which drew attention to state and federal funding shortfalls that affect local families and provided data for grant proposals, thereby increasing funds for local children’s services
Organized an annual Child Abuse Prevention Conference that has provided high-caliber training to approximately 1000 government officials, parents, service providers and community members over the last five years
Established a strong child advocacy and fund-raising presence in Solano County as the action arm of the first children’s inter-agency coordinating councils in the state
