By: Debbie Marini, Executive Director
We recently discovered there was a research-informed approach to increase family strengths, enhance child development and reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect. This approach is called the Strengthening Families: Protective Factors Framework (learn more). It is based on engaging families, programs and communities in building five protective factors:
- Parental resilience
- Social connections
- Knowledge of parenting and child development
- Concrete support in times of need
- Social and emotional competence of children
In Illinois, the Center for the Study of Social Policy “translated the factors into everyday language for families to better understand (learn more)”. The Everyday Language factors are:
- Be Strong & Flexible
- Parents Need Friends
- Being a Great Parent Is Part Natural & Part Learned
- We All Need Help Sometimes
- Parents Need to Help Their Children Communicate
- Give Your Children the Love & Respect They Need
Through our work in the “Communities of Hope” initiative, begun by Casey Family Programs, we learned that other sites use this framework to establish their “resource hubs.” We will also use this as our framework in Patterson Park, Baltimore City’s Community of Hope initiative.
Also, Safe Families for Children (SFFC) recently held a webinar highlighting this approach and pointing to the many areas that SFFC builds each of these very important factors for the kids and families they serve. The stories we shared in our recent Fall Newsletter highlight the power behind these common sense and cost-effective approaches. You can read the newsletter by going to our online newsroom.
At Building Families for Children, everything we do is about strengthening families!
Pray with us that we can continue to see more families with evidence of these wonderfully impactful factors in their lives.