2023 CAPSAC Awards: Call for Submissions

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To be awarded Spring 2023.

The California Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (CAPSAC) annually awards a grant of $750 for outstanding research by a graduate student (or early career professional up to one-year post MA/PhD) in the field of child maltreatment, child welfare, foster care, or a related topic. The recipient will also receive a one-year membership to APSAC (American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children) and CAPSAC. 

The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (apsac.org), founded in 1987, is a nonprofit membership society focused on meeting the needs of professionals engaged in all aspects of services for maltreated children and their families. Especially important to APSAC is the dissemination of state-of-the-art practice in all professional disciplines related to child abuse and neglect. To learn more about APSAC’s publications, see https://www.apsac.org/apsacpublications

CAPSAC aims to provide additional support to California professionals working in the field of child abuse through training, consultation, advocacy, and networking.  We also publish The Consultant, a professional newsletter highlighting relevant issues for our members. 

Applicants must: 

1. Be a graduate student within one year of completion (before or after) of a Master’s or Doctoral degree from an accredited California educational program. 
2. Submit a one thousand-word summary of the research in progress or completed study in the field of child maltreatment.
3. Submit one or two letters of recommendation from faculty members or academic readers who are familiar with your research. 
4. Be available to receive the award and present an overview of the study at a CAPSAC meeting or CAPSAC online event in April, 2023. 
5. Agree to the publication of the submitted summary in the CAPSAC newsletter, The Consultant, and/or posting on the CAPSAC website,  capsac.org. 

For more information and to submit your application and letter(s) of recommendation, please see CAPSAC's webpage at capsac.org. 

Deadline: For consideration for the 2023 award, all materials must be received by March 3, 2023.

If you have any questions, contact Susan Hardie, PhD, at suefhardie@gmail.com or 310-560-1888. 

To be awarded Spring 2023.

CAPSAC established the Neal Snyder Outstanding Service Award in 2019 to recognize professionals who demonstrate extraordinary dedication and efforts on behalf of children.

Neal Snyder graduated Phi Beta Kappa from UC Berkeley with a BA and MA in sociology, and obtained his JD from Hastings College. As an attorney, he specialized in protecting children from abuse - an area he helped make a legal specialty - and became a role model for many others in the field. Neal worked for the California State Department of Social Services in day care licensing litigation. He was a co-founder of CAPSAC, drafted its initial bylaws and assisted with its incorporation. He continued to serve as a board member, supporter, and consultant to CAPSAC for the rest of his life. Neal was an intelligent, even- tempered, positive, athletic, and kind man who loved jazz, his wife, Yvonne Garcia, their annual visits to Thailand, his children and grandchildren. 

Any professional in California may submit nominations. Nominees cannot be CAPSAC Board Members or CAPSAC Executive Committee Members.

Nominees should demonstrate the mission and goals of CAPSAC: 

• The mission of CAPSAC is to improve the effort and response of professionals working with children who have experienced abuse and neglect.
• The goals of CAPSAC are to promote collaboration among all disciplines working in the area of child protection, to promote education on child maltreatment of professionals and community members who work with children, to promote research on child abuse and neglect in the areas of prevention, identification, intervention, and treatment, and to promote appropriate and effective services to the children and families who have experienced child maltreatment.

Nominees should exhibit outstanding service in the area of child maltreatment and also model outstanding professionalism and have made contributions in the area of child maltreatment.  

The Neal Snyder Outstanding Service Award recipient will be selected from among the nominees by the CAPSAC Board of Directors and presented with the Neal Snyder Outstanding Service Award certificate as well as a one-year membership to APSAC/CAPSAC at a CAPSAC meeting or online training event in April 2023. Also, an article about the recipient will be published in the CAPSAC newsletter The Consultant and posted on the CAPSAC website capsac.org. 

Nomination Deadline: Nominations for the 2023 award, will be accepted until March 3, 2023.