Napa County proclaims Public Health Week, Week of the Young Child and Child Abuse Prevention Month; local providers urge more child-care supports

The Napa County Board of Supervisors on April 8 unanimously approved proclamations recognizing National Public Health Week (April 7–13), Week of the Young Child (April 5–11) and April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, and local public-health and child-service providers used the presentations to press for expanded child-care access and family supports.

The proclamations were introduced by Vice Chair Manfred and presented by county public-health and community leaders. Deputy Director Christine Wu, the county health officer, described the county’s community health fair and the health department’s prevention focus: “public health’s goal is to prevent disease, protect and promote the health for all people in all communities,” and she urged residents to support small actions such as learning CPR and volunteering.

Nut graf: County officials and nonprofit leaders said the proclamations highlight long-standing local problems—limited child-care slots, high costs and growing numbers of child-safety reports—and they called for coordinated public and private responses. Speakers cited county data, recent outreach efforts and concrete shortfalls affecting low-income and working families.

Local providers gave specific figures and asked for more funding and coordination. Nick Enel Singh, representing the Workforce Alliance of the North Bay, told the board that child-care costs in Napa County are substantially higher than comparable counties, citing median 2022 figures: “for medium U.S. counties the median yearly price for infant center care in 02/2022 was $11,354 … a 13.9% share of family income. By comparison, Napa County families paid a median $18,909, a 17.3% share of their income.” He added that rising costs contribute to workforce and population declines.

Erica Lubinski, executive director of Community Resources for Children, said the county has 136 child-care sites but a persistent shortage of infant slots: “I moved to Napa almost 10 years ago, and since I came, we’ve been saying that we have a child-care deficit … only 1 in every 9 children have an infant slot,” she said, urging collaboration between public and private sectors to expand capacity.

Tracy Lam, who identified herself as executive director of a domestic-violence and abuse-services organization, described the intersection of domestic violence and child well-being and said her group serves about 1,800 people annually. She emphasized affordable child care as essential support for families escaping violence.

Speakers from the Child Abuse Prevention Council and the county health agency also highlighted rising referral volumes and the need for noninvestigative family supports. Sue Sigler, interim executive director of Cope Family Center, and Veronica Piper Jefferson of Napa County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) said HHSA received 1,699 reports of suspected maltreatment in 2024. Jefferson said about 60% of those reports do not trigger an investigative response because they fall short of the legal definition of suspected child abuse; she framed that gap as evidence families often need concrete supports, not investigations: “They’re looking for diapers. They’re looking for formula. They’re looking for rental assistance. They’re looking for affordable housing. They’re looking for child care.”

Board action and context: Supervisor Ramos moved to approve the proclamations and Supervisor Liz Alessio seconded. The board voted unanimously to adopt all three proclamations. Supervisors thanked the presenters and allowed photos; Supervisor Alessio later announced coalition and legislative steps being pursued to increase child-care access, including a local fundraising and policy effort and a legislative request submitted to state offices.

Ending: Providers invited the public to upcoming events and partnership discussions. The county said it will continue outreach through its public-health programs and through partnerships with nonprofits, workforce agencies and First 5 Napa County to target infant slots, subsidies and family supports.