As members of the Napa County Child Abuse Prevention Council, we were encouraged to see President Trump affirm the importance of preventing child abuse in his proclamation recognizing April 2025 as Child Abuse Prevention Month. We agree wholeheartedly with his statement that “… the most powerful safeguard against child abuse is a stable family with loving parents…”
But we must respectfully—and firmly—disagree with the narrow definition of what makes a family. Children thrive in many kinds of families, regardless of their caregiver’s gender, sexual orientation, or marital status. What children need most is safety, nurturing, and love—not rigid ideals of what a family should look like.
We also know that even the most caring parents sometimes need help. In our work across Napa County, we see families doing their best while facing serious challenges: poverty, housing insecurity, mental health struggles, substance use, and trauma. Struggling families rely on critical supports like SNAP, Medi-Cal, childcare subsidies, parenting support, and mental health services to care for their children and keep them safe.
Yet these are the very programs under threat from federal policies and proposed funding cuts. Undermining the resources families depend on doesn’t protect children—it puts them at greater risk for abuse and neglect.
We’re especially disturbed by the proclamation’s targeting of transgender youth and their families. All children, including trans and gender-diverse youth, deserve to be seen, accepted, and supported. Vilifying their identities, or the families and professionals who help them thrive, adds fuel to the bullying, rejection, and violence these children already face at alarming rates.
We believe in building strong families through compassion, not condemnation. We know that children are safest when their families have what they need to succeed—not when they are shamed or stripped of resources.
Let’s focus on real solutions that strengthen families and protect all children—not divisive rhetoric that endangers them. That means voting for policies that support all children and families. It means advocating for affordable housing, health care, early education, and mental health services. It means donating to and volunteering with local nonprofits. It means showing up for the parents and caregivers in our own lives—offering encouragement, support, and a helping hand. And it means standing up for trans youth and their families, making sure they are treated with the dignity, affirmation, and safety every child deserves.
Sue Sigler
Interim Executive Director, Cope Family Center
Co-Chair, Child Abuse Prevention Council of Napa County
Tracy Lamb
Executive Director, NEWS Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse Services
Jenny Ocon
Executive Director, UpValley Family Centers
Veronica Piper-Jefferson
Health and Human Services Child Welfare Services Deputy Director
Rev. Dr. Peter R. Shaw
Senior Pastor, Crosswalk Community Church of Napa
Jeni Olsen
Prevention Director, Mentis
Alissa Abdo
Executive Director, On The Move