COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP OF SONOMA COUNTY
Helping People, Changing Lives
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
CAP Sonoma was founded in 1967 and facilitates programming to end generational poverty in Sonoma County.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Head Start/Early Head Start
Head Start
Our Head Start program is funded to serve 453 children ages ranging from 3 to 5 years old. We operate 13 centers throughout Sonoma County 4 days per week, 10 months per year. We offer 25 part-day morning or afternoon center based classes.
Early Head Start
Our goal is to build a strong foundation for school readiness by recognizing each child’s individual strengths and needs as we provide opportunities for each child to grow physically, socially, emotionally, and intellectually. We have chosen a research based curriculum to facilitate the comprehensive integrated program that we provide. We use the Creative Curriculum for Preschool.
Our Early Head Start program is funded to serve 32 children including pregnant women/infants/toddlers from prenatal to 3 years old. We operate 3 centers in Santa Rosa 5 days per week, 12 months per year. We offer 4 full-day center-based classes. We use the Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers and Twos along with The Program for Infant / Toddler Care.
Please see more at http://www.capsonoma.org/head-start/.
AVANCE
Testimony
“After Avance, I noticed a change in my life. I am now more patient, more loving and more sympathetic with my children, my husband and my friends. Avance has it all for learning and educating us as parents as a community.”
Problem Statement:
In Sonoma County, only 23% of English learners enter kindergarten “ready to go,” and only 27% of Latino students read at a proficient level by third grade.
Goal of the Program:
To empower families to break the cycle of poverty through a family engagement approach combining early childhood development and parenting education.
Primary Activities:
Nine-month program with weekly three hour meetings for Spanish speaking parents with children 0-3 years
Toy-making instruction, intensive parenting/child development class, and community resource information
Monthly home visits and weekly bookbag exchange
Outcome Highlights:
Six classes at four sites in Santa Rosa and Healdsburg, serving 145 families with 180 children in FY15-16
90% improved score on parenting questionnaire
92% read to children three or more times per week
Pasitos Playgroups
Problem Statement:
In Sonoma County, only 23% of English learners enter kindergarten “ready to go,” and only 27% of Latino students read at proficient level by 3rd grade.
Goal of the Program:
Pasitos focuses on giving parents of children 3-4 years old information and tools they need to prepare their child to enter school so they are ready to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.
Primary Activities:
Weekly parent-child group meetings with stories, songs, and fine-motor activities
Book bags with bilingual books
Community resource information
Outcome Highlights:
27 groups County-wide serving 300 families FY’16-17
180% increase in parents reading five or more times per week
Padres Unidos
Padres Unidos is a sixteen week Spanish language parent training program designed specifically for the parents’ strong-willed and out-of-control teenagers. Padres Unidos’ utilizes the nationally recognized Parent Project SR® curriculum to teach parents concrete identification, prevention and intervention strategies for the most destructive adolescent behaviors. The program addresses the needs of parents dealing with issues related to poor school attendance and performance, alcohol and other drug use, gang involvement, violence and runaways.
To increase the impact for parents, Community Action’s program model includes bilingual, bi-cultural facilitators, a Youth Development Specialist who can meet with the families on a one-on-one basis, and an alumni program to keep families in touch, that offers refresher classes as needed.
Testimony:
“I was able to compromise, to be less confrontational with my children. They love to come to the class. I hug them and give them a lot of kisses. Now, we are able to enjoy more time together.” -Padres Unidos Parent
Problem Statement:
Too many of our Sonoma County youth are getting involved in “risky behaviors” such as using drugs, engaging in non-protective sexual relations, running away from home and joining gangs. Results of such behaviors include teenage pregnancy, dropping out of school, entering in the criminal justice system, and creating divisive familial disputes.
Goal of the Program:
Increasing active parental supervision through presence and communication. The program has a goal of creating support groups for these families to reinforce lessons learn and to create a community of supervision and support.
Primary Activities:
16-Week Curriculum driven sessions
Group support sessions for 9 weeks with rotating participant leadership roles in groups
The Youth Development Specialist Role is an important element to the program. Case Management for high-risk youth of parents attending Padres Unidos
Connections with outside expert resources (e.g. SRPD, County Judge, District Attorney)
Referrals to CAP & partner organizations support services (e.g. VITA, IDA, Community Engagement)
Outcome Highlights:
60% of parents able to institute parental supervision
90% of parents able to show love and affection to kids
70% increase communication between school and home
Since 2004 approx. 800 families have gone through program
School Smile Program
“I had two separate parents tell me that they took their kids to the dentist and their dentist told them that they had planned to do sealants on their children, but they had already been done by the School Smile program and that they looked great! It is really great when the parents know that their kids are getting good dental treatment at school and they didn’t have to take time off work or their child did not have to leave school to get it done. I am looking forward to working with the program again next year!” -School Office Assistant
Problem Statement: The 2009 and 2014 Sonoma County Smile Surveys showed that over 50% of kindergarten and 3rd grade students have already experienced dental decay. Approximately 1 in 5 children have untreated decay, and some children are disproportionately affected by dental diseases. It is estimated that 80% of tooth decay is found in 25% of children ages 5 to 17, primarily those from low-income households. Untreated dental disease can affect overall health, nutrition and learning.
Goal of the Program: To decrease tooth decay among low-income children by increasing the number of low-income children receiving preventive services and accessing dental care.
Primary Activities: Dental health education, dental screenings, fluoride varnish, dental sealants, and referrals for care for grades K-8 in 12 Sonoma County schools.
Outcome Highlights:
Over 7,000 children received dental education since the program inception
Over 4,000 children receive dental screenings
Over 5,000 dental sealants placed
Over 700 children referred for treatment of dental decay.
Contact Information:
Program Manager: Kathy Kane, RDHAPPhone 707-544-6911 x [email protected]
Program Coordinator: Mayra Gudino, CHWPhone 707-544-6911 [email protected]
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The Sonoma Smile Survey of 2009 assessed the dental health of 1,483 kindergarten and 3rd grade students and was repeated in 2014 with a sampling of 1,582 students. A key finding with both surveys was that most children in Sonoma County do not have dental sealants, a well-accepted clinical intervention to prevent tooth decay on molar teeth. Dental Sealants are thin plastic coatings that are applied to the chewing surface of the tooth. Sealants prevent 60% of decay at one-third the cost of filling a cavity.
The Department of Health Services funds Community Action Partnership to deliver the School Smile Program, which is currently in its 4th year of implementation. The program is working with 12 schools this year and has the long-term goal of reaching all 28 low-income elementary schools in Sonoma County. Targeted program schools are those with greater than 50% student enrollment in the Free and Reduced Lunch Program
The program conducts classroom education sessions and provides dental assessments, fluoride varnish, sealants, referrals, and case management. The key component of the program is providing dental sealants to children with newly erupted molars. In its first three years, the School Smile Program provided 5,072 sealants to 1,506 children.
Santa Rosa Community Dental Center and St. Joseph Health currently partner with CAP to support the program’s implementation and provide additional treatment to children who are referred for needed care. Participating dental providers and referral offices are all within Sonoma County. All program providers undergo yearly training and evaluation. Quality assessments are done on a yearly basis to ensure program integrity.
The Sonoma County School Smile Program’s goal is to achieve the Oral Health Objectives set by Healthy People 2020 that are listed below:
OH-9.1 Increase the proportion of school-based health centers with an oral health component that includes dental sealants. Target 26.5%
OH-12 Increase the proportion of children and adolescents (age 6-9) who have received dental sealants on their molar teeth. Target 28.1%
Tier1
We are excited to announce that the School Smile Program, a school-based sealant program for Sonoma County’s low-income elementary schools, has been awarded Upstream Portfolio Tier 1 recognition. The Upstream Portfolio is coordinated by the Sonoma County Human Services Department and recognizes promising and evidenced-based practices in the community. Tier 1 is the highest level of recognition, which requires programs or strategies to have a rigorous evidence-base. School-based sealant programs are recommended by the Community Preventive Services Task Force.
Disaster Relief Assistance Fund
In response to the devastating wildfires that overtook Sonoma County on the evening of October 16, 2017, Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County (CAPSC) responded to community need by creating the Disaster Relief Housing Assistance Fund (DRHA). Thanks to some amazing funders, our agency is able to provide rental and deposit assistance to those immediately affected by the wildfires in Sonoma County.
The Disaster Relief Assistance Fund may be able to provide:
Short term rental assistance per household.
One time security deposit assistance (within set limits) per household.
Assistance with replacing lost or damaged goods.
Rental assistance can be used for room rental, hotel rooms, apartment or home rent, RV or mobile home park rentals. Case managers will work with clients to determine the monetary need up to the limits that have been established by the fund.
Eligibility:
Households who lost their housing and/or source of income due to the fire
Assistance must be used to reside in Sonoma County
Low-income families with children
Households not eligible for FEMA
Intakes questionnaire may be filled out at the Community Action Partnership office, 141 Stony Circle, Suite 210, Santa Rosa, CA 95401 or by phone 707-544-6911.
*Published Sonoma County poverty levels will be used to determine low-income eligibility.
Pathways Housing
“Immediately after entering the home my life began to change. The love and encouragement from staff and the other women there helped me gain back the self-esteem and self-respect I had lost during those difficult times.” -Former Sloan House Resident
Problem Statement: In Sonoma County, there is a well-documented housing crisis. Furthermore, there is a major lack of temporary housing whose sole purpose is to help residents move on to permanent housing.
Goal of the Program: CAP’s Housing Pathways helps move clients from short-term housing to permanent housing. Focusing on stabilizing the resident’s physical, emotional and financial health, this program has been an incredibly successful model in addressing the County’s housing need.
Primary Activities:
Short term housing for women and children
Assistance with finding financial benefits and resources.
Support in the employment search with skills and training.
Services for reunification with children and other family members.
Support with emotional, drug dependency, social behavior, parenting skills.
Outcome Highlights:
We’ve served 425 unduplicated homeless women and children.
We’ve helped 274 women increase their income while staying at the Sloan House & Harold’s Home
230 women and children have moved into permanent housing.
We’ve helped 182 women gain employment in Sonoma County.
We’ve helped 28 families reunite with their children.
Contact Information:
Johnetta Dedrick
[email protected]
707-521-9338
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Community Action Partnership is committed in providing services to our most vulnerable community members. The housing department aligns with the agency mission of creating economic and social justice within the communities of Sonoma County.
The Pathways Housing Programs have been developed to provide a continuum of care in which participants are provided with Strengths Based Case Management, Trauma Informed Services and Peer Supportive Environments. The staff for our housing department is trained in the Strengths Based Model for serving participants, focusing on the individuals’ strengths rather than their deficits. They are skilled in Motivational Interviewing techniques to assist participants through the stages of behavioral change. Our facility participants engage in Peer Support which creates a cohesive environment for positive relationships within the facilities, and a positive atmosphere for personal growth and development.
Our shelter, transitional house, and permanent supporting housing units, are clean and sober environments where recovery is supported and nurtured. The programs support the Housing First Model of ending homelessness; Housing First Models integrated with continued support services guide participants toward economic stability and self-sufficiency.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
Association of Fundraising Professionals - Member 2012
External reviews
Photos
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Empowering families to end generational poverty within their family units.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP OF SONOMA COUNTY
Board of directorsas of 12/24/2023
Mx RIchard (R) Horrell
Community Volunteer
R Horrell
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 08/25/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.