Speaker: Amanda Guajardo, Executive Director, Tulare County Child Abuse Prevention Council
Please introduce yourself and tell us about your current role.
Amanda Guajardo: Hi, my name is Amanda Guajardo and I am currently serving as the Executive Director for Tulare County's Child Abuse Prevention Council (CAPC).
How are you using what you’ve learned in your everyday work with families and/or within your organization?
Amanda Guajardo: Many of the trainings that we have participated on as a CAPC through CalTrin, has helped increase our knowledge that the best way to prevent abuse in our vulnerable communities is to offer awareness and education services for parents, for teachers, for caregivers, for community members and children themselves. Our focus has always been on providing prevention services to a wide range of communities, which CalTrin has helped us address through resources and education. We provide this in the form of education tools and materials. When children in communities are educated and aware, abuse is preventable. Prevention techniques require an adjustment over time and CalTrin continues to be relevant and really intentional about making sure that their resources are current, as cultures move very quickly. And while some dangers remain similar, other hazards faced by kids today are very different than those faced by previous generations. CalTrin offers those trainings regarding intergenerational trauma as well as current topics such as online grooming, sexual solicitation, body dysmorphia, and campaigns that continue to promote child well-being. These are just some of the samples of the trainings that we have participated in.
Please tell us about any specific success, improvement, or change your participation in CalTrin training helped you achieve and how.
Amanda Guajardo: One specific success that was evident after participating in CalTrin's training was regarding violence. We know that violence is now the leading cause of death for children. And according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, youth mental health issues, which makes children more vulnerable to abuse, continue to rise and are the leading cause of disability and poor life outcomes for young people. So after participating in trainings, all this, in addition to the ongoing danger of abuse, many generations of children have sadly faced and continued to face from family members, coaches, teachers, family, friends, scout masters, clergy, and other often very trusted members of their communities. We were able to provide some educational materials, engage in some parent forums, and get some feedback from youth themselves about what is making them vulnerable. How we can support not only mental well-being of children and youth, but as a risk factor for violence in our community, how can we find safe places to talk about it? Because we know if we don't talk about it, then nothing will change. And so one of the, one of the comments that was made from a parent was that they've learned that there is no shame in asking for help. The shame is when we don't ask for help and we continue to repeat the cycle of violence or not talking about mental well-being and how that is a risk factor that has just been heightened so much more in the last couple of years. So thank you, CalTrin, for your willingness, your passion, and your great knowledge of how to engage communities in conversation that may not be comfortable for many people.
Have you encouraged colleagues from your organization or other family-serving professionals to participate in CalTrin training? If yes, why?
Amanda Guajardo: We are always excited to encourage our community-based organizations and other family-serving professionals to participate in CalTrin training. One of the reasons I guess, I guess the big reason is that empowering word: hope. And there are many reasons to remain hopeful. When we are as a community tuned in, we can actively communicate and stay involved in our children's lives, which will greatly reduce the risk of abuse. And when we as community members are aware of the signs of abuse and neglect and we're willing to take action together when we see those signs, we can prevent the worst outcomes. So when we take time to educate children together about safety rules and body boundaries, we can collectively raise an empowered generation that is much, much less susceptible to harm. And so together, it's our responsibility as adults to pay attention to what's happening for children and to stay tuned. That is the only way to keep kids safe. So we really encourage others to join us in educating ourselves and into building our own skills and resources for our children.
Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
Amanda Guajardo: Thank you, CalTrin, for your willingness to support us at a local, regional, and state level in our efforts to strengthen families and promote child well-being. We are very, very grateful to the resources, the education, the support that you provide to us at the local level. It reminds us that it does take a village and we look forward to not only continuing our partnership but to growing our own organizations and ourselves personally and professionally in our efforts. Thank you so much.
