Francesca Kubo interviewed Executive Director, Tracy Sarich, to reflect on her first year leading Children’s Trust Foundation. Here’s what Tracy had to say:
The Sarich Family: Frank, Valerie, John, Tracy, & Jody
What has Children’s Trust Foundation taught you about child abuse prevention?
Prior to joining Children’s Trust Foundation, I worked on a variety of family violence issues and, at times, wondered if it was possible to break that cycle. But after working with the family support community and learning about the protective factors, I saw real solutions, real changes in families that by many standards, could appear hopeless. It inspired me and changed my life in many ways.
What was your top focus last year?
I focused on creating strategic partnerships with like-minded organizations in order to leverage our resources and serve more families. I wanted to stretch our donations to the highest degree and ensure that we didn’t waste resources by duplicating services. We did that, and the opportunities to do even more continue.
Why has Children’s Trust Foundation flourished for 25 years?
Mission consistency. We have extremely dedicated donors and board members who believe that prevention should be a priority at all levels—from the governor’s office to every parent in Washington. Our founders forged the first legislation to bring prevention to state government and worked diligently to keep the issue before the legislature and to everyday families. Today we maintain that same sense of focus and urgency to make prevention a policy priority and funding available.
What do you wish that more people knew about child abuse and neglect prevention?
That investing time and resources in prevention will save lives, time, and money. For every two cents spent on prevention, a dollar is spent to deal with the after-effects of abuse and neglect. What a bargain—healthy communities, families, and children—all for a fraction of the expense of waiting for abuse or neglect to happen. It’s the best deal going.
