A Year-By-Year Historical Tour of Promises2Kids

Founded in 1981 as the Child Abuse Prevention Foundation (CAPF)

2016

Promises2Kids is celebrating 35 years of serving foster youth in San Diego County.

2015

Launched our Jr Guardian Scholars expansion to serve foster youth in 9th through 12th grade.

2014

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.

2013

 Guardian Scholars expands its services to include college preparation support to foster youth in their junior and senior years of high school. This program, Junior Guardian Scholars, was launched with its first class of 10 students in March 2013.

2012

 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. Camp Connect ensures hundreds of foster children maintain critical relationships with their brothers and sisters that otherwise may be lost.

2011

 10 years after Promises2Kids Guardian Scholars was implemented, 175 former foster children had earned their college degrees. Nationally, less than 10% of former foster youth graduate from college.  This unique and effective program has an over 80% completion rate for its students.

2010

 Created Needs Assessment for Military Families Support Initiative. This assessment was shared with the community and was a key driver in service delivery for agencies supporting military families.
Partnered with The Rivers of Hope Foundation to create The Rivers of Hope Birthday Club, ensuring that each child receives a birthday present.

2009

 Promises2Kids launches its Summer Concert Gala with headliner Jewel to raise funds for foster children. The annual gala concert raises awareness for foster youth and the work of Promises2Kids to support these children.
  The Child Abuse Prevention Foundation becomes Promises2Kids.P2K_NewLogo_rgb-e1362767752873

2008

 Nearly 500 children in San Diego County are separated from their brothers or sisters while living in foster care. The relationship between siblings is crucial, and many children feel additional grief and loss when separated from brothers and sisters after removal from their parents' home. These children need their siblings to maintain some sense of identity and survive the emotional trauma. Camp Connect San Diego launches a 4-day summer camp designed to bring together siblings who have been separated by their placement in the foster care system.

2006

 The Foundation celebrates its 25th Anniversary of providing help and hope to San Diego’s children. CAPF has now raised over $30 million for child abuse prevention and treatment programs in San Diego County. CAPF expands the CAPF Foster Fund , creating Guardian Scholars.

2005

 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.

2003

 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.
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 Promsies2Kids law enforcement education and training opportunities.

2002

 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.

2001

 CAPF receives $2.5 million bequest from Sunshine Brooks and establishes the Hattie
“Sunshine” Brooks Endowment Fund to provide for the future needs of abused and at-risk children.
  CAPF, KGTV/San Diego’s Channel 10 and Union Bank of California start the “Team10 Foster Fund”, a scholarship program to fund college or technical training for former foster youth in San Diego. Ten former foster youth receive nearly $43,000 in scholarship funds in the first year. This was later named Guardian Scholars.
  San Pasqual Academy, the first of its kind residential high school for foster youth opens its doors in September.  CAPF raised $6 million to assist with the capital campaign, surpassing the original goal by $1 million.

2000

 CAPF embarks on the campaign to raise funds to build a residential high school for teens living in foster care; San Pasqual Academy.

1998

 CAPF raises  $1.2 million and distributes the proceeds to local agencies for treatment, therapy, shelter care and prevention services for San Diego’s abused, abandoned and neglected children.

1994

 A.B. and Jessie Polinsky Children’s Center opens, relocating all children from the overpopulated Hillcrest Receiving Home. The new Center becomes a national model.  Promises2Kids continues to provide annual funding for services and support to the children cared for at the Center each year. The Center was made possible thanks to major gifts from Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities, Betsy & Doug Manchester, the San Diego Padres, Skyline Wesleyan Church, Coca-Cola Company, Centex Golden Construction, Thomas C. Ackerman Foundation, the Engel Family, Weingart Foundation, Jack in the Box, Jack W. Goodall Family, St. Germaine Auxiliary and many other generous donors.
  The first Holiday Gift Drive is held, and now collects more than 10,000 gifts annually for foster children. This program ensures that children who are away from their families receive a gift for the holidays and the comfort of knowing someone cares for them during this troubling time.

1990

 CAPF begins the successful campaign to raise $12 million to build the new emergency shelter for children to replace the outdated Hillcrest Receiving Home. The County of San Diego donates the land for the project and CAPF raises the remaining $12 Million to build the Center. 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.

1989

 Birthday Club is established to provide birthday cards and gifts to foster children. Often foster children feel isolated and alone – their birthdays are not a sense of joy nor celebrated. The Birthday Club sends each child a card and a gift on their special day – letting them know that they are important and that they deserve to be celebrated. Today, Promises2Kids provides birthday gifts for hundreds of foster children every year.
CAPF raises $1 million to fight child abuse in San Diego County.

1988

 CAPF creates a new program at UCSD to help drug-dependent pregnant women from delivering drug-addicted babies. Within a few years, 99 out of 100 of the mothers served had delivered drug free babies. This program continues to operate today as a community supported program.

1987

 CAPF creates a private child-friendly waiting room at family court for children waiting to testify.  Prior to having the private room, children had to wait 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. This is a record number for foster family recruitments efforts.

1985

 CAPF volunteers and donors provide funding assistance to remodel San Diego’s Child Abuse Hotline Center. The hotline receives over 70,000 calls of suspected abuse annually.

1984

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

1983

 CAPF establishes a program run by local psychiatrists or psychologists to treat child sexual abusers thereby protecting children from future sexual abuse.

1981

 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.