Davis Rotary - Child Abuse Prevention - History of the Program

In 1999 the Rotary Club of Davis began a program to reduce the incidence of child abuse locally, nationally and internationally. That program, Child Abuse Prevention Program (CAPP), was unanimously adopted as the club’s program for the new millennia.

Since that time the program mission has been one that seeks to inform the public of the tragedy of child abuse and to assist in the education process. The CAPP is a self-supporting program. Since 2000, each year the club hosts an event, called “Big Night” where Rotarians and community policy makers, State legislatures gather to raise money to support the mission of the Child Abuse Prevention Program. To date, more than $250,000 has been raised to support non-profit groups whose program is to provide primary child abuse prevention services to children and families.

The Rotary Club of Davis has proactively presented the CAPP to more than 35 Rotary Clubs and made presentations to District 5160 conferences on three different occasions. The program also was one of thirteen selected from 2,500 programs for presentation at the 2003 Rotary Zone conference. Furthermore, the CAPP was selected as a Rotary Program Booth at the San Antonio Convention and at the 2011 Rotary International Convention in New Orleans.

CAPP has been a major contributor to child abuse prevention programs locally, in the State and internationally. The program mission included encouraging the Yolo County to establish the Yolo County Crisis Nursery and supported the Nursery financially and with hands-on-labor since its inception. The club additionally fostered the establishment of a Yolo County Multi-Disciplinary Interview Center (MDIC) and provided funding for that program. Both are significant program that get up-stream from the abuse and help prevent child abuse from happening in the first place. Furthermore, the CAPP has provided funding for parenting classes, First Responder training, an Incest Survivor’s annual conference, and street lamppost banners encouraging citizens to get involved in helping prevent child abuse.

The club introduced Child Abuse Prevention as a part of District 5160’s Rotary Family Program and assumed responsibility for its implementation. Additionally, more than 600 Rotary clubs around the world have received information about how they can get involved. More specifically, three Rotary Clubs in Thailand implemented parenting program provided to them by the club and were converted to Thai for use in their districts. Finally, the club has distributed more than 3,000 “You Don’t Have To Let Your Baby Cry” CDs to new mothers which has proven to reduce infant crying.

Finally, CAPP has targeted Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) as a major child abuse prevention project within the CAPP. “Big Night” funds are used to purchase Shaken Baby Syndrome simulation training dolls that are used to demonstrate the level of damage to a child’s brain when the child is shaken. This training tool is most effective when used to train post-partum mothers just prior to discharge from the hospital. The CAPP therefore has purchased these dolls and donated them to all the local labor and delivery units within Yolo County and to the University of California, Medical Center. Dolls were also provided to the Red Cross and the Head Start programs. Two dolls are donated to a non-profit organization in Kenya, East Africa and are being used to train African men and women throughout the country.

Child abuse is an epidemic. It is a tragedy that occurs worldwide throughout all level of society. Rotary is an international organization and the power and the money to make a significant impact on preventable problem. There is no excuse that even one child should be exposed to pain and lifelong injury at the hands of society. Child abuse must be stopped!