Our History

Promises2Kids celebrates 40 years of serving over 200,000 foster youth in San Diego County.

With the announcement of San Pasqual Academy (SPA) closing in 2022, Promises2Kids provided the necessary resources to accept all SPA youth into Guardian Scholars.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, provided $350k of support for former foster youth to help meet basic needs such as groceries, cleaning supplies and funding for rent and utilities – supplementing youths’ income, as a result of job loss.

Celebrated the 20th anniversary of Polinsky Children’s Center and the 50,000 children it has served, as well as the dedication of the Mary Goodall Education Center.

Guardian Scholars expands its services to include college preparation support to foster youth in their junior and senior years of high school. The first class had 10 students.

Camp Connect expands its program to include day camp activities each month in addition to its annual life changing 4-day Summer Camp for siblings who have been placed in separate foster care homes.

The Child Abuse Prevention Foundation becomes Promises2Kids.

Camp Connect launches a 4-day summer camp designed to bring together siblings who have been separated by their placement in the foster care system.

A collaborative effort between CAPF, San Diego County Adoptions and others is initiated to help improve the process of finding warm and loving homes for foster children who cannot be reunited with their family.

Former CAPF President, Emeritus Board member and lifelong volunteer Elizabeth Lennon passes away and the Elizabeth Lennon Something Special Fund is established by Board members.

Approached by local leaders to serve as the fiscal agent to help launch Just In Time, a new effort to support foster youth as they transition into adulthood. This effort enabled them to later grow into a separate nonprofit entity.

The San Diego International Conference on child and family maltreatment presented annually by The Chadwick Center at Children’s Hospital incorporates a new symposium, the Annual Beth Lennon Symposium on Child Maltreatment, focused on training first responders on identification, investigation and victims of child abuse. This is now included as part of Promises2Kids law enforcement education and training opportunities.

In partnership with HomeAid San Diego and YMCA Youth & Family Services, the Child Abuse Prevention Foundation opened “Mary’s House”, North County’s first transitional living program for former foster youth.

CAPF, KGTV/San Diego’s Channel 10 and Union Bank of California start “Team10 Foster Fund”, to fund college or technical training for former foster youth in San Diego. Ten former foster youth received nearly $43,000 in scholarship funds the first year. This is now Guardian Scholars.

San Pasqual Academy, the first of its kind residential high school for foster youth opens. CAPF raised $6 million for the capital campaign, surpassing the goal by $1 million.

A.B. and Jessie Polinsky Children’s Center opens, relocating all children from the overpopulated Hillcrest Receiving Home.

The first Holiday Gift Drive is held, and now collects more than 10,000 gifts annually for foster children.

CAPF raises $12 million to build the new emergency shelter for children to replace the outdated Hillcrest Receiving Home. A $5 million lead campaign gift is made by Mrs. Jessie Polinsky. In honor of the gift, the new shelter is named A.B. and Jessie Polinsky Children’s Center.

Birthday Club is established to provide birthday cards and gifts to foster children.

CAPF creates a new program at UCSD to help drug-dependent pregnant women from delivering drug-addicted babies.

CAPF creates a private child-friendly waiting room at family court for children waiting to testify. Prior to the private room, children waited in the same room as their abusers, increasing their trauma.

CAPF Foster Parent Recruitment Campaign results in 60 new foster homes for the placement of children within three months, a record for foster family recruitment efforts.

CAPF volunteers and donors provide funding assistance to establish a centralized number for San Diego’s Child Abuse Hotline. In one year alone, the hotline has received reports of abuse for nearly 70,000 children.

Barbara Christiansen and nine friends found St.Germaine Auxiliary to the Child Abuse Prevention Foundation.

Child Abuse Prevention Foundation (CAPF) is founded by Norma Hirsh, Renée Comeau, Rob Butterfield, Carla Snyder and Mary Avery. First activities were to raise community awareness of the issues of child abuse and establish an emergency Baby Food Fund to provide food, medicine and supplies to children.