To: Board of Supervisors
From: Marla Stuart, Employment and Human Services Director
Report Title: Proclaim October 2026 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month
?Recommendation of the County Administrator ? Recommendation of Board Committee
/
RECOMMENDATIONS:
ADOPT a resolution declaring October 2026 Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Contra Costa County as recommended by the Employment and Human Services Director.
FISCAL IMPACT:
No fiscal impact for this action.
BACKGROUND:
Domestic Violence Awareness Month is a national campaign dedicated to raising awareness about domestic violence. In 1989, Congress declared the month of October to be Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). Every October, organizations and individuals unite across the country for a national effort to uplift the needs, voices, and experiences of survivors. In 1995, the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence convened several national domestic violence organizations to launch a new effort to support domestic violence program’s awareness and education efforts for DVAM. This collaborative effort became the Domestic Violence Awareness Project (DVAP), which comes up with an annual theme to inspire people to action.
For 2026, the theme for DVAP is “With Survivors, Always,” which calls on communities to move from awareness to action by standing in partnership with survivors and their children, advancing safety, support, and solidarity, and taking meaningful steps to address barriers that prevent survivors from accessing the resources and opportunities they need to heal, achieve safety, and thrive.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
The County will not recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month in 2026.
CHILDREN’S IMPACT STATEMENT:
This resolution supports all five of Contra Costa County’s community outcomes of the Children’s Report Card: (1) “Children Ready for and Succeeding in School”; (2) “Children and Youth Healthy and Preparing for Productive Adulthood”; (3) “Families that are Economically S...
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