Children Need a Voice

  • An estimated 1 in 4 children experience abuse or neglect in the U.S. 
  • 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys will report they were sexually abused by the age of 18. It is estimated that only 38% of children report.
  • The harm of child abuse can last a lifetime; the total economic burden incurred by California communities for the lifetime cost of survivors of child abuse and neglect in 2023 was $16.5 billion

Protecting children for over 30 years

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The Coalition provides education and advocacy for research-based policy changes that identify, prevent, and treat child abuse. We partner with legislators, agencies, advocacy groups, families, and professionals who provide direct services. We propose legislation and take positions on related bills. Our state and national network is dedicated to creating laws that protect children and offer justice and assistance for victims.
Update on Priority Bill:
​Governor Newsom has signed AB 3072 (Petrie-Norris)! This child abuse and homicide prevention bill will become law on January 1st, 2025. Please join our year-end fundraiser to make child protection advocacy possible!
We appreciate Assemblymember Petrie-Norris authorizing this bill and being a tireless advocate for child safety.
Please donate to make child advocacy possible!

Take Action

Our work is made possible by donations from the public. Help fund education and legislative advocacy to protect children.

Governor Newsom has signed these new child protection laws:
SB 899 (Skinner-Blakespear)
AB 2759 (Petrie-Norris)
AB 2096 (Petrie-Norris)
AB 1974 (Petrie-Norris)

Improving Child Safety One Law at a Time

Our past advocacy has resulted in new protections, including laws to:
-Mandate clergy to report child abuse
-Extend the statute of limitations for cases of child sexual abuse
-Require courts to consider a parent’s history of abuse before placing a child in unsupervised visitation with that parent
-Mandate training in child sexual abuse for all child custody evaluators
-Create legal liability for third parties who negligently or intentionally allowed children to be sexually abused
-Provide $4 to $8 million annually in Victims of Crime funding to unserved child and adult victims of abuse
-Restore $26 million to the Victim Restitution Fund to assist victims of crime
-and more

For more new law, click on Legislation
“California Impacts.” Safe & Sound, safeandsound.org/about-abuse/the-economics-of-abuse/california-impacts/. Accessed 26 Aug. 2024.
Child Abuse and Neglect in California, 8 Sept. 2021, capc-coco.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/child-abuse-2018.pdf.
“KidSafe.” Center for Child Counseling, 24 Mar. 2024, www.centerforchildcounseling.org/programs/kidsafe/.