Introduction to Strengthening Families Child Development CA Dept of Education

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Introduction to Strengthening Families
C E N T E R F O R T H E S T U D Y O F S
O C I A L P O L I C Y
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Strengthening Families began as a search for a
new approach to child abuse prevention that

• Is systematic
• Is national

Reaches large numbers of children
Has impact long before abuse or neglect
occurs Promotes optimal development for all
children
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Strengthening Families has inspired an approach
to family support services that is
Universally available, not targeted by
risk Focused on development and growth, not only
on identified problems Delivered through new,
powerful partners not typically identified as CAN
prevention or family support agents
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Going where the children are Early care and
education programs have assets
Daily contact with parents and children Uniquely
intimate relationships with families A universal
approach of positive encouragement and education
for all families
An early warning and response system to the first
signs of trouble
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The Original (Simple?) Ideas

• Find strong evidence that universally available
  venues like early childhood programs can also
  help families and prevent child abuse
• Influence national organizations and systems to
  adopt the idea
• Spread the idea state by state
• Create greater safety and optimal development for
  millions of children

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quality early care and education
protective factors
??
Can ECE programs help families as well as
children?
??
CAN prevention and optimal development
??
??
??
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Just the facts

• What does research tell us about what is RIGHT
  with families?
• What kinds of characteristics are there that
  promote childrens healthy developmentand are
  linked directly to a reduction in child abuse and
  neglect reports?

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the protective factors framework
Parental Resilience Social Connections Knowledge
of Parenting and Child Development Concrete
Support in Times of Need Social and Emotional
Development
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the gold standard study
Arthur Reynolds, University of Wisconsin Longitud
inal study of children and families in a program
with similar elements to those identified by CSSP
compared with others who did not
participate Results 52 reduction in
substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect by
age 17
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parental resilience
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parental resilience
Psychological health parents feel supported and
able to solve problems can develop trusting
relationships with others and reach out for help
Parents who did not have positive childhood
experiences or who are in troubling circumstances
need extra support and trusting relationships
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social connections
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social connections
Relationships with extended family, friends,
co-workers, other parents with children similar
ages Community norms are developed through
social connections Mutual assistance networks
child care, emotional support, concrete help
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knowledge of parenting and child development
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knowledge of parenting and child development
Basic information about how children
develop Basic techniques of developmentally
appropriate discipline
Alternatives to parenting behaviors experienced
as a child Help with challenging behaviors
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concrete supports
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concrete supports
Response to a crisis food, clothing,
shelter Assistance with daily needs health
care, job opportunities, transportation,
education Services for parents in crisis mental
health, domestic violence, substance
abuse Specialized services for children
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social and emotional competence
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social and emotional development
Normal development (like using language to
express needs and feelings) creates more positive
parent-child interactions
Challenging behaviors, traumatic experiences or
development that is not on track require extra
adult attention A Surprise What learning in a
classroom does for families back at home
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quality early care and education
protective factors
Parental Resilience
Program Strategies that build Protective Factors
Social Connections
CAN prevention and optimal development
Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development
Concrete Supports
Social and Emotional Development
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seeking excellent examples
Rural, urban, suburban Small/large
stand-alone/multi-site Large budget/small
budget All serving low-income families Already
high-quality programs by other standards
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excellent early childhood programs are already
building protective factors daily, but often do
not recognize their impact on families
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small but significant changes in early childhood
practice could produce huge results in preventing
child abuse and neglect for the youngest children
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but how exactly do they DO it?
The overall ENVIRONMENT is the most important
element it encourages and allows everything else
to happen Supportive, warm, flexible, and
healthy RELATIONSHIPS between staff and parents
are the most critical part of developing and
sustaining the environment
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quality early care and education
protective factors
Program Strategies that build Protective Factors
Parental Resilience
Faciliate Friendships Mutual Support
Strengthen Parenting
Social Connections
CAN prevention and optimal development
Respond to Family Crises
Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development
Link Families to Services Opportunities
Value Support Parents
Concrete Supports
Faciliate Childrens Social Emotional
Development
Social and Emotional Development
Observe Respond to Early Warning Signs of CAN
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facilitate friendships mutual support
Places to meet and greet other parents Opportunit
ies for interaction, to work together, and to
share mutual support Pot lucks Recreation, social
events Create individual connections among
families
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strengthen parenting
Staff model good parental skills provide
informal parent education just in time
information Parent education and formal
opportunities for exploration of own experience
and learning alternatives Special help for
parents of children with challenging behaviors
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respond to family crises
Staff mobilize support from many sources when
necessary Deep understanding about resources for
domestic violence, substance abuse, mental
healthand well-planned bridges to services
providers Other families help out
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link families to services and opportunities
Linkages with many community resources Cross-trai
ning with other agencies Referrals to people,
not just agencies A family plan for everyone
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value and support parents
Decision-making at all levels includes
parents FamiliesALL family membersfeel
welcome Many opportunities for participation in
activities at many levels
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facilitate childrens social and emotional
development
Structured curriculum for social and emotional
development Teaching parents to support social
and emotional development and deal with
challenges Observation and timely response when
development is not on track
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respond quickly to family stress
Daily health checks for children, meet and
greet routine for families Staff recognize and
respond to early warning signs of abuse or
neglect with a planned protocol Consistent
monitoring and immediate outreach at any sign of
trouble Close, trusting connections with social
service and mental health agencies
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organizational partners and funders
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Casey Family
Programs, Annie E. Casey, Arthur L. Mailman,
Arthur Blank Family Foundation
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strengthening families national network
9 Partner States Georgia, Idaho, Illinois,
Kansas, Missouri New Hampshire, New Jersey,
Washington, Wisconsin 14 Affiliate
States Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut,
California, Delaware, Hawaii, Louisiana,
Massachusetts, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma,
Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee,
Washington, DC 7 National Partner
Organizations BUILD, FRIENDS National Resource
Center for CB-CAP, National Alliance of
Childrens Trust and Prevention Funds, NAEYC,
NCCIC, Zero to Three, United Way 4 National
Affiliate Organizations Midwest Learning Center
for Family Support, National Registry Alliance,
Parents as Teachers, Parent Services Project
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Strengthening Families National Network of states
and organizations promotes Widespread
implementation in early childhood programs and
states (and large counties) Quality assurance
for materials, training, and use of Strengthening
Families ideas Federal and state policy to
support implementation and sustainability
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levers for change
Parent Partnerships Infrastructure and Policy
Changes Professional Development Early
Childhood-Child Welfare Linkages Early Childhood
Comprehensive Systems Planning
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the new normal
Child abuse and neglect prevention ? building
healthy families Early childhood programs extend
their mission to support families and protect
children as a way to provide optimal
developmental conditions for children Child
Welfare and other systems that serve vulnerable
families focus on development as a key part of
assuring the well-being of kids
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http//www.strengtheningfamilies.net Contact Kat
e Stepletonkate.stepleton_at_cssp.org773-857-3653
C E N T E R F O R T H E S T U D Y O F S
O C I A L P O L I C Y