Get Involved with the Council

​​​​Council Members are knowledgeable about and actively involved in the fields of child abuse prevention, intervention, and treatment. They volunteer their time to improve the County's response to child abuse and neglect. The work of the Council is done through public committee meetings.

Step One: Attend a Meeting

The best way to learn more about the Council is to attend a full Council meeting or a committee meeting.

The full Council meets on the second Friday of the month at 7:30 A.M. in the Board Chambers at 70 West Hedding in downtown San Jose. The Council does not meet in August or December.

There are nine committees that work on a variety of issues related to child abuse prevention. Click here to view the online Google Calendar and Meeting Schedule. Meetings are free, accessible, and open to the public. It's always a good idea to contact the Committee Chair in advance of the meeting to confirm the time, date and location.

Step Two: Join a Committee

The committees are the lifeblood of the Council -- where members meet monthly to discuss concerns, recommend improvements, and plan events. After you've attended a few committee and/or Council meetings and have found the right fit for you, talk to the Committee Chair about joining a committee. Because the Council complies with the Brown Act, the majority of committee members must be present at a meeting in order to reach quorum and conduct business. When you decide to join a committee, you are committing to attending every month and actively participating in the work of the committee. 

You do not have to be a member of the Child Abuse Prevention Council to join a committee.  Click here to learn more about the committees. If you're interested in joining a committee, attend a meeting and contact the Committee Chair.

Step Three: Become a CAPC Member

CAPC Members attend the monthly Council meetings AND actively participate on one or more committees. It's free to join the Council. There are two types of CAPC Memberships available to new members: Voting Members (Commissioners) and Community Advisory Members.

• VOTING MEMBERS/COMMISSIONERS: There are 23 Voting Members (Commissioners) of the Child Abuse Prevention Council. The Voting Members are appointed by the Board of Supervisors to one of the 23 "seats" upon recommendation from the Council's Membership Committee. To learn if there are vacant seats on the Council and to apply online, go to the Quick Links on the Santa Clara County Boards and Commissio​ns website​. Once you apply online, please provide a copy of your application to the Council Coordinator by emailing [email protected]. The Coordinator will bring your application to the Membership Committee for consideration. Voting Members must be a resident of Santa Clara County and demonstrate an interest in working to protect children from child abuse and its effects. The appointments are distributed to provide a balance of geographic representation and constituencies.

• COMMUNITY ADVISORY MEMBERS: Community Advisory Members (CAMs) are appointed by the Child Abuse Prevention Council and come from all parts of the community. They need not reside in Santa Clara County. They must demonstrate an interest in working to protect children from child abuse and its effects. There are an unlimited number of CAMs. Nearly all Voting Members begin their service on the Council as CAMs. CAMs must attend Council meetings regularly and participate actively on at least one committee. CAMs are encouraged to participate, when possible, in the leadership of the Council by serving as Committee Chairs. CAMs may not vote at Council meetings and may not serve as Officers of the Council, but may vote at their Committee meetings. The CAM application is located in the "Quick Links" section of this website.

 

Have a question about how you can get involved? Contact the CAPC Coordinator at [email protected].​