Children’s Network envisions positive outcomes for children and families in San Bernardino County. This is achieved through active and engaged collaborations of county and community partners, relevant training opportunities for service providers, and promoting public awareness and shared understanding of risk factors of child abuse and neglect.

Accomplishments:

• Received National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award for “Engaging and Connecting Volunteer Mentors with System Involved Children.”
• Received NACo Achievement Award for “Father’s Toolbox.” A collaborative approach with the Performance, Education & Resource Centers (PERC) and Children’s Network.
• Contracted with First 5 San Bernardino to fund and house the Father Engagement Coordinator position in support of the Countywide Father Inclusion effort.
• With the support of First 5, Children’s Network realigned funding to focus on early childhood mental health systems. This allowed Children’s Network to develop collaborations with county and community partners to focus on early childhood mental health and how to look at systems level approach to helping our children.
• The Children’s Network Child Abuse Prevention Council partnered with the community based ACE’s (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Taskforce to develop the San Bernardino Initiative for Resilience—Building Organizations. Children’s Network is one of four trainers who go out to organizations to develop organizational resiliency.

Goals:

• Incorporate “The Vision 2 Mentor” into the Countywide Vision.
• Develop a coordinated effort between County departments, County Schools and community partners to address the connection between poverty and early childhood trauma with the vulnerability of sexual exploitation and/or teen suicide.
• Update our child abuse prevention awareness campaigns in collaboration with PERC and utilize technological advances that are occurring in outreach mediums.
• Develop a countywide primary prevention plan for child abuse prevention in a coordinated and collaborative manner with child serving agencies in the County.
• Develop a coordinated effort between County departments and community partners to address the connection between poverty, ACEs, and developing community resiliency.

Janki Patel
Officer, Children's Network