Fill - Free fillable Prevention 2021/2022 (Health and Human Services) PDF form

Prevention

Resource Guide

2021/2022

DEPARTMENT

HEALTH

HUMAN

SERVICES

ADMINISTRATION

FOR CHILDREN

AND

FAMILIES

Administration

Children,

Youth

and

Families

330 C Street, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20201

Dear Colleagues:

Families, service providers, and communities work tirelessly year-round to protect and nurture children and

promote their well-being. For nearly 40 years, National Child Abuse Prevention Month has played an important

supporting role by increasing awareness and educating the public about child maltreatment prevention.

Today we know much more than we did 40 years ago about the neighborhood, community, and societal factors

that can either promote family well-being or make parenting more challenging. We have an abundance of

evidence about what leaves families vulnerable to maltreatment and how to support them effectively. If we are

serious about preventing child maltreatment, we know it is most effective to reduce those vulnerabilities before a

child is harmed.

The single most important thing we can do is support families all year long in ways that promote and

build upon their strengths and enable them to care for their children safely before maltreatment is even

a possibility. When we commit to partnering with families to help them access resources that focus on child and

family well-being, they are better able to cope with stress, mitigate risks before formal child welfare intervention is

needed, and realize their full potential.

These values are reected in the theme of the 22nd National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect and this

accompanying Resource Guide: “Thriving Children and Families: Prevention With Purpose.” One of the Children’s

Bureau’s most anticipated publications, the 2021/2022 guide recognizes that there are actions we can take at

all levels of the social ecology—as a society, within community systems, and in our organizations, as well as with

individual families—to address the root causes of maltreatment and provide meaningful support. The guide also

seeks to highlight the many innovative ways that communities around the country are already doing purposeful

prevention work to help children and families thrive.

The 2021/2022 Resource Guide was created with input from a broad representation of national experts, including

National Child Abuse Prevention Partners and colleagues on the Federal Inter-Agency Work Group on Child Abuse

and Neglect, as well as local community leaders. Our conversations with this large and varied group during the

past year have conrmed what we have been saying for years—to make child abuse less likely to occur, we need

to invest in communities and invest in families.

We can do this by addressing societal attitudes and values around parenting, making it clear that all parents

and families need support in overcoming life’s challenges at times. We can strengthen our resolve and ability to

organize effectively at the system level to identify the needs of parents and provide support while eliminating

stigma. We can be open to new approaches to service delivery that help the whole family, not just a single

member, and that recognize and actively mitigate the effects of trauma. We can recognize the importance of a

workforce that has access to quality training and is supported in building effective partnerships with families. And

we can do all these things with a steadfast commitment to addressing inequality and listening to the voices of

parents, caregivers, youth, and communities most directly impacted by child welfare intervention.

If we truly come together with a unied voice to address the root causes of family vulnerability and commit to

taking collective action toward this common goal, we can move beyond drawing awareness to the problem

of child abuse to supporting strong, healthy, and resilient families. We thank you for your work and hope this

Resource Guide supports you in your efforts to help all children and families thrive.

/s/

Elaine Voces Stedt, M.S.W.

Director

Ofce on Child Abuse and Neglect

Children’s Bureau

Administration on Children, Youth and Families

Administration for Children and Families

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

ii 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Table of Contents

Setting the Context 1

Protective Factors 201 2

An Enhanced Social-Ecological Approach 3

New Protective Factors Conversation Guides 4

Other Resources 4

Creating a More Supportive Society for All Families 5

Federal Focus: CDC Essentials for Childhood 6

Promoting Norms That Support Positive Parenting 7

Seeking Family-Supportive Policies and Systems Change 10

Increasing Equity in Family Support Services 12

Questions to Consider 15

Building Protective Systems: A Public Health Approach to

Preventing Child Maltreatment 17

Federal Focus: Supporting Community Collaborations for Child Abuse Prevention 19

Using Community Data to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect 21

Taking a Collective Impact Approach to Family Support 23

Implementing Communitywide Primary Prevention Strategies 25

Questions to Consider 27

Aligning Organizations for Family Resilience and Healing 29

Employing Two-Generation Approaches to Strengthen Families 31

Implementing Trauma-Informed Care for Children and Their Families 33

Federal Focus: National Child Traumatic Stress Network 35

Understanding the Protective Effects of Positive Childhood Experiences 36

Questions to Consider 39

iii

Embracing Community and the Wisdom of Lived

Experience 41

Federal Focus: Head Start/Early Head Start Policy Councils 42

Valuing Community Voice in Program Assessment, Implementation, and Evaluation 43

Growing Authentic Partnerships With Parents, Caregivers, and Youth 45

Questions to Consider 48

Protective Factors Conversation Guides for Partnering

With Families 50

How to Use These Guides 51

Protective Factors 101: Resources for Promoting Family Well-Being 51

We Love Each Other 52

Nos amamos unos a otros 54

I Can Choose What Works Best for My Children 56

Puedo elegir lo que funciona mejor para mis hijos 58

I Deserve Self-Care 60

Me merezco el autocuidado 62

We Are Connected 64

Estamos conectados 66

I Can Find Help for My Family 68

Puedo encontrar ayuda para mi familia 70

I Help My Child Learn Social Skills 72

Ayudo a mi hijo a aprender habilidades sociales 74

Partners and Resources 76

National Child Abuse Prevention Partners 76

Federal Inter-Agency Work Group on Child Abuse and Neglect 76

Acknowledgments 76

This Resource Guide was developed by the Ofce

on Child Abuse and Neglect (OCAN) within the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services’ Children’s

Bureau, Child Welfare Information Gateway, and the

FRIENDS National Center for Community-Based Child

Abuse Prevention. OCAN released its rst Resource

Guide more than 15 years ago with the goal of raising

awareness about emerging child abuse prevention

concepts. It was created primarily to support community-

based service providers who work to prevent child

maltreatment and promote family well-being. However,

over the years many others—including policymakers,

health-care providers, program administrators, teachers,

child care providers, parent leaders, mentors, and clergy—have found the resources useful.

Prevention is generally recognized as occurring at three levels: primary (directed at the general

population), secondary (focused on families where risk factors are present), and tertiary (focused on

families where maltreatment has already occurred). This guide has traditionally focused on primary

and secondary prevention activities, which endeavor to stop maltreatment before it occurs.

Promoting protective factors has been central to the Resource Guide for many years. Protective

factors are conditions or attributes in individuals, families, communities, or the larger society that

mitigate or eliminate risk in families and communities, thereby increasing the health and well-

being of children and families. Protective factors help parents nd resources, supports, or coping

strategies that allow them to parent effectively, even under stress. Since 2007, this Resource

Guide has employed a protective factors framework adapted from the Strengthening Families

framework developed by the Center for the Study of Social Policy. The following are the six

protective factors in this framework:

 Nurturing and attachment

 Knowledge of parenting and of child and youth development

 Parental resilience

 Social connections

 Concrete supports for parents

 Social and emotional competence of children

“Nurturing and attachment” is not delineated as a separate protective factor within Strengthening Families; however, it

is an implicit and valued component to the entire framework.

Setting the Context

CHAPTER ONE

IN THIS CHAPTER:

 Protective Factors 201

 An Enhanced Social-Ecological

Approach

 New Protective Factors

Conversation Guides

 Other Resources

2 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

A protective factors approach to the

prevention of child maltreatment focuses

on positive ways to engage families by

emphasizing their strengths and what

parents and caregivers are doing well, as

well as identifying areas where families have

room to grow with support. This approach

also can serve as the basis for collaborative

partnerships with other service providers, such

as early childhood, behavioral health, maternal

and child health, and other family-serving

systems that support children and families and

promote child and family well-being.

Periodic revisions of the guide have

introduced other key concepts, such as the

following:

 How the experiences of early childhood,

including early trauma exposure, have a

lifelong impact on brain development

 The effects of adverse childhood

experiences (ACEs), such as child abuse

and neglect, on physical and mental health

into adulthood

 The ways that investments in prevention

strategies keep children safe, families

strong, and communities resilient and pay

dividends well into the future

Many of these concepts—once on the

cutting edge of practice—are now

generally accepted truths. They underlie

some of today’s most effective prevention

strategies, including home visiting programs,

therapies to strengthen parent-child bonds,

neighborhood-based family resource centers,

interdisciplinary community collaborations,

and more.

PROTECTIVE FACTORS 201

We live in an ever-evolving world, one we

could not have predicted 15 years ago.

The importance of protective factors,

ACEs awareness, and trauma-informed

approaches is widely recognized. Still, child

and family serving agencies and the broader

community face both systemic and practical

challenges to integrating and implementing

them in their daily work with families. Some

communities have overcome these barriers

and created comprehensive family well-being

systems that wrap an array of protective,

preventive interventions around families with

phenomenal results—but these communities

are still the exception, not the rule.

The current generation of child welfare and

parent leaders knows what they need to

be doing better for children and families,

but they continue to need support in how

to implement these concepts effectively.

That is why this year’s Resource Guide takes

a “Protective Factors 201” approach that

shifts the focus to a deeper understanding

of how successful families, neighborhoods,

communities, and States are using the

protective factors to protect children,

strengthen families, and promote well-being.

Throughout this guide, the protective factors

serve as a theoretical underpinning for many

of the strategies described. Although they are

not always referenced directly, they continue

to be infused in this work in countless ways.

Foundational information about the protective

factors can be found on the Information

Gateway website. For a list of Protective

Factors 101 resources, see page 51 of this

guide.

AN ENHANCED SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL APPROACH

This year’s Resource Guide continues and

expands upon the tradition of addressing

prevention from the perspective of a

social-ecological model. This approach

acknowledges that there are many factors

beyond the individual child and family that

affect caregivers’ ability to nurture and protect

their children.

A social-ecological model helps us

understand the range of factors that place

children at risk for abuse or neglect or protect

them from experiencing maltreatment,

including Federal and State policies, norms

about child-rearing and asking for help,

community and neighborhood resources and

environments, and the approaches employed

by family-serving organizations and systems.

The overlapping rings in the model show

how factors at one level inuence those at

other levels. To prevent maltreatment, social-

ecological theory acknowledges that it is

critical to take action across multiple levels of

the model at the same time.

The next ve chapters of this guide each

address a different level of the social-

ecological model:

 Chapter 2: Creating a More Supportive

Society for All Families

 Chapter 3: Building Protective Systems:

A Public Health Approach to Preventing

Child Maltreatment

 Chapter 4: Aligning Organizations for

Family Resilience and Healing

 Chapter 5: Embracing Community and the

Wisdom of Lived Experience

 Chapter 6: Protective Factors Conversation

Guides for Partnering With Families

These chapters offer caregivers, service

providers, and community leaders a wealth

of information, resources, and examples from

Federal partners, Community-Based Child

Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) programs, and

other communities and organizations that

have successfully employed the strategies in

this Resource Guide to effect real change for

children and families. CBCAP programs are

funded by the Children’s Bureau to—among

many important actions—develop, operate,

enhance, and coordinate efforts to prevent

child abuse and neglect and strengthen and

support families.

We have found that the most successful

prevention efforts are rarely accomplished by

implementing an isolated program or practice;

rather, they are achieved by employing and

integrating many of the concepts represented

here, in authentic partnership with families

and through collaboration with many partners

over extended periods of time.

At the end of chapters 2 through 5, you will

nd a series of questions to consider. We

invite you to use these both for individual

reection in your work with families and as a

starting point for conversations within your

community group, agency, or jurisdiction.

There is always room for learning and growth.

SYSTEM

ORGANIZATION

SOCIETY

FAMILY

COMMUNITY

4 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

NEW PROTECTIVE FACTORS CONVERSATION GUIDES

Chapter 6 returns to the foundation of the

protective factors in a new series of caregiver

conversation guides. These guides were

created to help users engage parents and

caregivers in more personalized conversations

about how they care for their children and

themselves to create a stronger, more

resilient family.

The interactive conversation guides draw

on the legacy of Parent Cafés. These

structured peer-to-peer conversations to

strengthen families and prevent child abuse

and neglect have been happening since at

least 2007, when Strengthening Families

Illinois debuted Parent Cafés, based on

the World Café model. Parent Cafés were

designed to facilitate deep individual self-

reection and peer-to-peer learning around

the Strengthening Families protective factors.

Similar models, sometimes called community

cafés, have proliferated since then. Taking

a variety of forms, these gatherings bring

parents, caregivers, and other community

members together for structured

conversations that build leadership and

relationships as well as the protective factors

that help to strengthen their families.

For each protective factor, we provide talking

points and guidance for the service provider,

paired with a worksheet that can be used

while engaged one-on-one with a parent or

caregiver or as part of a group activity. After a

brief introduction about the protective factor

from a service provider, caregivers respond to

prompts about their own family’s strengths,

sources of support, and areas where they

may need additional support. Caregivers can

customize each worksheet to reect their

family’s unique circumstances and goals. Each

worksheet is available in both English and

Spanish. If you are missing a tip sheet you

found useful in the past, never fear! Many of

the former tip sheets are still available on the

Information Gateway website.

OTHER RESOURCES

Additional resources for building strong

and thriving families are available from the

many national organizations and Federal

partners listed in chapter 7 that have been

vital in supporting and moving this important

prevention work forward.

The societal level of the social-ecological model

provides the context for all other layers. It describes

the climate within which systems, organizations,

communities, and individual families operate and live

their lives. When that climate is supportive of parents

and children, it is easier for all families to thrive. Three

societal factors play a signicant role in how we can

effectively support all families and prevent child abuse

and neglect: (1) social and cultural norms; (2) Federal,

State, and local policies; and (3) equal access to

resources and opportunities.

Social and cultural norms are (often unspoken) rules

or expectations for how we behave that are based on

shared beliefs within a specic cultural or social group.

The study of social norms has shown that our individual choices—including health-related

behaviors such as smoking or binge drinking—are highly inuenced by what we believe about

the choices others make. In other words, if we believe that (for example) wearing seat belts is a

common practice in our social group, we are more likely to engage in it whether or not others

actually do.

Creating a More

Supportive Society

for All Families

CHAPTER TWO

SYSTEM

ORGANIZATION

SOCIETY

FAMILY COMMUNITY

IN THIS CHAPTER:

 Federal Focus: CDC Essentials for

Childhood

 Promoting Norms That Support

Positive Parenting

 Seeking Family-Supportive

Policies and Systems Change

 Increasing Equity in Family

Support Systems

6 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

The power of social and cultural norms can

be harnessed to strengthen protective factors

within families by promoting norms that

encourage positive parenting practices.

Over time, this strategy can increase those

positive practices within a social or cultural

group and help to protect children from

maltreatment.

Likewise, family-supportive policies at the

Federal, State, and local levels help families

succeed and thrive. Two critical policy areas

to consider are those that support household

nancial security and family-friendly

workplaces. When parents are nancially

secure and have a healthy work-life balance,

it is easier for them to provide for their

children’s basic needs, offer safe and nurturing

care, and experience good physical and

mental health themselves. Community-based

agencies can encourage greater well-being

by helping families access resources—such

as employment support, low-income tax

credits, nutrition assistance, stable housing,

family-friendly work policies and benets,

and affordable high-quality child care—and

advocating for these opportunities where they

do not exist.

Equity is an important consideration when

looking at the societal context within which

the families we serve live their lives. We

know that the policies and outcomes of our

current systems can be unequal and unjust.

Meaningful change will require an awareness

of, and a commitment to dismantle, the

policies, practices, and attitudes that

perpetuate inequality and interfere with

families’ ability to care for their children. This

means changing how we engage and work

with families—including how we respond

when they experience progress and set-

backs—as well as working to level the larger

societal inequities that systems across the

continuum are grappling with. We introduce

equity in more detail later in this chapter,

and you will nd it revisited in examples

and questions to consider throughout the

remaining chapters as well.

FEDERAL FOCUS: CDC ESSENTIALS FOR CHILDHOOD

The Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC) has long been a leader in

Federal efforts to support families and prevent

child abuse and neglect at the societal level.

CDC’s Essentials for Childhood framework

outlines strategies to help create a society in

which every child can thrive.

Changing norms and policies are two parts

of the Essentials for Childhood framework.

The full framework has four goals and

suggests evidence-based strategies to

achieve each goal:

Goal 1: Raise awareness and commitment

to promote safe, stable, and nurturing

relationships and environments for all

children.

Goal 2: Use data to inform actions.

Goal 3: Create the context for healthy

children and families through norms change

and programs.

Goal 4: Create the context for healthy

children and families through policies.

For example, the North Carolina Task

Force on Essentials for Childhood is

working toward goal 4 by funding grants

to support several partners in encouraging

family-friendly workplace policies. One of

the grantees, Family Forward NC, is an

employer-led initiative to increase access to

research-based, family-friendly practices—

big and small—that support children’s

healthy development. It offers resources

for employees, including information about

family-supportive Federal and State laws and

a directory of family-friendly workplaces and

the benets they offer. Family Forward also

offers an extensive online guide that can be

used to develop (or advocate for) family-

friendly workplace policies.

Linkinbach, J. W. (2017). An introduction to positive community norms. The Montana Institute.

For more information about other Essentials

for Childhood projects and resources

on norms and policy change, see the

CDC’s Essentials for Childhood: Creating

Safe, Stable, Nurturing Relationships and

Environments webpage.

PROMOTING NORMS THAT SUPPORT POSITIVE

PARENTING

The Positive Community Norms (PCN)

approach is a model for improving health-

related behaviors through the promotion

of positive social and cultural norms. PCN

has been demonstrated to be effective in

creating social change around issues such as

trafc safety and underage drinking, as well

as child maltreatment.

In the same way that

protective factors focus on building family

strengths, PCN focuses on growing healthy,

normative attitudes and behaviors rather

than focusing solely on negative behaviors

we want to avoid. Examples of using positive

community norms to support families could

include promoting messages such as “We

all share responsibility for the well-being

of children” and “All parents need support

sometimes. It’s okay to ask for help.”

Understanding existing social and cultural

norms is often critical to the success of efforts

to support families. Different groups within

the same community may have very different

norms around parenting practices or seeking

and receiving help. For example, caregivers

in some communities may be reluctant to

participate in parenting programs because

they think they should be able to care for

their children on their own or because they

worry that their participation indicates they

are a “bad” parent or caregiver. To counter

this, program messages might emphasize that

learning effective parenting skills is a process,

all parents and caregivers need help at times,

and it’s okay to ask for help. Caregivers who

do attend parenting programs may need extra

support in using new skills at home if what

they learn is different from what is practiced

by other family or community members.

From 2014 to 2015, Prevent Child Abuse

America partnered with the Montana

Institute to conduct a nationwide telephone

poll of social and cultural norms regarding

child maltreatment prevention. Many of

their ndings were hopeful. For example,

they discovered that people accurately

perceived that abuse and neglect are serious

problems and that they generally believed

that prevention is possible. The survey also

revealed that people who believe that other

people would take action when they suspect

child abuse or neglect are themselves twice as

likely to take action (compared to those who

underestimate others’ willingness to do so).

This survey demonstrates how what we

believe about what is “normal” (true or

not) affects our behavior. It has implications

for child maltreatment prevention because

parents are more likely to nurture, protect,

and discipline their children in ways they see

as common in their community and culture.

Any strategies we can employ to surround

parents and caregivers with positive images of

loving and nurturing parent-child relationships

helps to counter possible misconceptions.

Other research tells us that what we believe

about the attitudes of certain people affects

our behavior more than others. In the case

of parenting practices, those who have

the strongest inuence include not just

8 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

friends and family members but certain

professionals, such as pediatricians, mental

health professionals, and faith leaders. This

provides an opportunity: Targeting people in

these professions with messages and tools to

support them in promoting positive parenting

practices may be an effective strategy to

change community norms and prevent child

maltreatment.

Other parents can also be effective inuencers

of parenting norms because parents typically

view their peers as people they can trust.

Employing parents from the community as

mentors for at-risk families can help support

more positive parenting.

The CDC offers seven steps for promoting

positive community norms that could be

adopted to better support families and

promote child maltreatment prevention:

 Planning, engaging, and educating a

diverse coalition of stakeholders

 Assessing norms through surveys, focus

groups, and existing data sources

 Establishing a common understanding and

prioritizing opportunities based on the

data collected

 Developing a portfolio of strategies aimed

at different levels of the social ecology

 Pilot testing, selecting, and rening

strategies and messages

 Implementing the portfolio of strategies all

at once or in phases

 Assessing effectiveness and future needs

through ongoing evaluation

For more information, see the CDC

publication Promoting Positive Community

Norms.

The Hawaii Department of Health, the State’s CBCAP lead agency, is taking an

integrated approach to improving the well-being of Hawaii’s young children and

their families through public awareness and education efforts on multiple forms of

family violence. Baseline data, presented in an ACEs and resilience dashboard, will

help the team determine whether reframing and integrating several distinct violence

prevention campaigns promotes more positive community norms and results in

improved outcomes.

Recently, Hawaii’s CBCAP funds have been blended with funds from the State

Department of Human Services to develop an innovative communications campaign

that aims to prevent all forms of family violence. One outcome of this effort has been

Nurture Daily, a year-round media campaign that includes several 30-second public

service announcements framed around “serve and return” interactions that help

support healthy brain development in young children. Messages encourage and

normalize daily actions such as playing together, eating meals together, and sharing

thoughtful words with a partner.

Nurture Daily infographics that target early child care providers and other pre-K

community providers will soon be available in digital and printed formats.

Hawaii

Department

of Health

STATE CBCAP

EXAMPLE

Pediatricians Can Effectively Promote

Positive Norms Around Discipline

There is a growing body of evidence

that shows clear communication of

expectations, proactive guidance, and

positive reinforcement are effective discipline

techniques. However, a signicant number

of parents in the United States are still using

corporal punishment. Corporal punishment

puts children at risk for poor mental, physical,

and social/behavioral health outcomes, similar

to the risks of substantiated abuse. It also has

been shown to be ineffective for changing

behavior in a lasting way. We know from

tracking beliefs about the practice that, while

support for hitting children has decreased

over time, many parents still believe it is

necessary for good discipline.

There is some good news: research indicates

that parents’ attitudes about corporal

punishment are highly inuenced by the

advice of credible professionals, such as

pediatricians, religious leaders, and mental

health professionals. Changing the minds

of these professionals—encouraging them

to offer positive and effective discipline

alternatives—can make a difference.

More than 90 percent of parents bring their

children to a well-child visit, even when they

lack primary care themselves. This makes

pediatricians’ ofces an excellent place to

promote positive parenting practices. In

2018, the American Academy of Pediatrics

issued an updated policy statement about

the harm caused by corporal punishment and

the need to promote more effective means of

discipline. HealthySteps, a program of ZERO

TO THREE, is one evidence-based, team-

based pediatric primary care program that has

been shown to promote positive discipline

among parents of infants and toddlers, with

an emphasis on families living in low-income

communities.

In participating pediatric practices, children

ages birth to 3 and their families receive a set

of screenings and follow-up visits (as needed)

for a wide range of issues, including autism,

maternal depression, and social determinants

of health. The entire practice works together

to implement the model. HealthySteps

specialists (child development professionals

integrated into the primary care team)

connect with and guide families during and

between well-child visits.

Evaluations of the program found

that participants demonstrated better

understanding of infant development and

were less likely to use harsh or severe

discipline. HealthySteps currently supports

more than 275,000 young children in more

than 170 pediatric primary care practices

nationwide.

“In primary prevention, we are asking,

‘What can I do to prevent abuse from ever

happening?’ To answer that, we have to

look at the norms around hitting children

for discipline.”

—Catherine Taylor, Ph.D., professor, Boston College

School of Social Work

10 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

SEEKING FAMILY-SUPPORTIVE POLICIES AND SYSTEMS

CHANGE

It is important for community-based family

support agencies and other family supports to

be aware of the impact of Federal, State, and

local policies that affect the lives of children,

youth, and families. For staff working directly

with families, this might simply mean being

aware of the programs and benets to which

families may be entitled and understanding

the requirements and procedures for

accessing them. Doing so will promote

access to concrete support and may increase

parental resilience. Frontline staff can also

help agency leaders understand the barriers

that families encounter and what systems

changes might be needed.

Agency leaders and community coalitions may

be in a position to educate legislators and

inform positive policy and systems changes

that improve the environments within which

families are raising their children. The CDC

Essentials for Childhood framework outlines

two steps to inform policies.

Step 1: Identify and assess which policies

may positively impact the lives of children

and families in your community.

There are three levels of policy to consider:

 Legislative: Laws or ordinances passed by

local, State, or Federal governing bodies

 Regulatory: Rules, principles, or methods

established by government agencies that

have regulatory authority for products or

services

 Organizational: Rules and practices that

an organization or agency sets for how it

does business, conducts its activities, or

interacts with staff and constituents

Step 2: Provide decision-makers with

information on the benets of evidence-

based strategies and rigorous evaluation

when considering family-supportive policy

changes.

Systems change should be backed by

evidence of how policies can promote the

well-being of children, youth, and families. For

example, family-friendly workplace policies,

such as exible schedules, paid family leave,

and access to high-quality child care, have

been shown to help businesses recruit new

employees, retain current staff, increase

productivity, reduce sick days, and lower

health-care costs. Two sources of information

about evidence-based family-supportive

policies include the Essentials for Childhood

framework (as outlined on page 6) and the

Change in Mind Institute (see page 11).

Agencies should not take on systems change

alone. Implementing policy change that

promotes strong families and communities

requires a collective effort from organizations

in both the public and private sectors,

including State and local health departments,

the media, businesses, schools, and faith-

and community-based organizations. The

next chapter, Building Protective Systems:

A Public Health Approach to Preventing

Child Maltreatment, explores strategies for

strengthening community collaborations.

Change in Mind Institute: Infusing Brain

Science in Systems and Policy Change

The past two decades have seen tremendous

advances in our understanding of how the

brain develops and is affected by toxic stress.

This new body of knowledge has great

potential to improve the effectiveness of

services for children and families and the ways

that family-serving organizations successfully

engage and support their workforce. The

Change in Mind Institute at the Alliance for

Strong Families and Communities supports

organizations in infusing the latest behavioral

and social science research into policy,

programs, and practice.

The Change in Mind Institute is built on

the ndings of a “learning laboratory”

approach. In 2015, a cohort of 10 U.S. and

5 Canadian community-based organizations

demonstrated the impact of intentionally

infusing brain science into programs and

organizations and generated new insights

into the longer-term challenges of facilitating

and accelerating change at the systems and

policy levels.

Cohort members used two approaches to

facilitate changes in policies that supported

healthy child development, increased

resilience, and ensured community well-

being. First, they built their communities’

knowledge, networks, and skills to work

effectively on neuroscience-aligned systems

and policy change using the following

strategies:

 Educating their communities about

advances in neuroscience

 Working with networks of collaborators

and strategic allies on systems and policy

change

 Creating or adopting shared messages to

unify advocacy efforts

 Strengthening local workforce capacity

through training and technical assistance

 Aligning funding and other resources at

multiple levels to support systems and

policy change

 Conducting research and evaluation

activities to inform change.

Once they built community capacity in these

ways, the sites worked with key partners

and collaborators to call for systems

change within and across social services,

including the child welfare, early childhood

development, K–12 education, housing

services, and juvenile justice systems.

“The science is very clear around brain

development, ACEs, and trauma. The

Change in Mind Institute looks to

provide knowledge, expertise, and

recommendations for transforming our

practices, policies, and systems based on

what the science is telling us.”

—Jennifer Jones, director, Change in Mind Institute,

Alliance for Strong Families and Communities

12 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

INCREASING EQUITY IN FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES

Adapted from Center for Social Inclusion. What Is Racial Equity?

The impact of societal inequality can be

readily seen in child and family services,

including child welfare. Signicant research

has documented the overrepresentation

of certain racial and ethnic populations—

particularly Black or African-American and

American Indian/Alaska Native families—in

child welfare systems when compared with

their representation in the general population.

In addition, studies have shown that racial

disparities occur at various decision points in

the child welfare continuum. These disparities

are not fully explained by differences in

rates of maltreatment or poverty. Children

and youth with diverse sexual orientations

and gender identities and expressions

are also signicantly overrepresented in

the child welfare system. As a group, they

experience more placements and lower

rates of reunication with family than their

heterosexual and cisgender peers.

If we want to improve outcomes for all

children and families, it is imperative that

we commit to equity, as both a process and

a goal. As a process, equity requires that

those negatively impacted by inequality

be meaningfully involved in the creation,

implementation, modication, and elimination

of policies and practices that affect their

lives. As a goal, we achieve equity when

all children and families experience similar

outcomes, regardless of race, ethnicity, marital

status, sexual orientation, gender expression,

income, or creed.

There has been increased attention in recent

years to the need for antiracist efforts,

particularly anti-Black racism. According to the

Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP),

“antiracism is the active process of identifying

and challenging racism, by changing systems,

organizational structures, policies and

practices, and attitudes to redistribute power

in an equitable manner.”

CSSP has 15 years of experience working

to become an antiracist organization. Its

publication Moving Forward Together notes

several requirements of this work:

 “Brutal candor,” including a transparent

process to honestly identify and

differentiate between management issues

and racial equity issues

 Agreement at all levels, beginning

with a commitment to antiracism at the

highest levels of leadership and active

engagement of a cross-section of staff (or,

ideally, the entire organization)

 Commitment to examining and

improving both internal and external

efforts, including ongoing reection and

accountability measures to ensure that

diverse staff are recruited and retained,

policies and practices are continually

reexamined, and progress is sustained

 Continuous commitment and constant

attention as partners leave a coalition or

staff members leave an organization and

new ones join

 Efforts to measure impact, both

internally and for children and families

 Evolving leadership, including—but

certainly not limited to—both institutional

leaders and champions (staff, board

members, key partners) who spearhead

the system’s or organization’s core

commitment to becoming antiracist

A More Perfect Union Parent Cafés:

Helping Caregivers Connect for Racial

Justice

Be Strong Families (BSF) has adapted the

Parent Café model to offer a way for parents

and caregivers to connect, learn, and get

support from each other on racial justice

issues. Parent Cafés are one approach to

structured peer-to-peer conversations (see

page 4).

A More Perfect Union Parent Cafés began in

2016 because BSF wanted to respond to how

many African-American parents were feeling

about the racism they were experiencing in

their day-to-day lives. Leadership realized that

what the organization does best—develop

transformative conversations—could allow

people to experience the emotional safety

needed to share their feelings, gain support

from each other, and brainstorm strategies

and solutions to keep their families safe.

What emerged was a realization and a tool:

When people have a safe space to connect

across differences, they develop compassion

for and understanding of other peoples’

realities, disrupt stereotypes, and create

stronger ties to each other. A More Perfect

Union Parent Cafés, organized around the

protective factors, honor the broader context

for parenting in a complex and often unjust

world and help parents and caregivers

positively and proactively navigate this

landscape.

Movement-Building Organizations

Supporting Equity and Family

Integrity

The recently established upEND

Movement, an emerging collaborative

launched by CSSP and the University of

Houston, argues that racism is deeply

rooted in child welfare systems’ history,

policies, and practices. It proposes to

dismantle (rather than reform) the current

system and create new, antiracist structures

and practices that address family poverty

and strengthen families while keeping

children safe and protected in their homes.

Through its UnSystem Innovation

Cohort, Alia committed to guiding a set

of 10 public child welfare agency leaders

representing ve jurisdictions through a

whole-system transformation process. Each

jurisdiction works with one professional

and one lived-experience guide toward the

common aspiration of “family connections

are always preserved and strengthened.”

After the rst year of practice, which

involved shifts in agency mindset with

no additional funding, participating

jurisdictions saw a 12-percent reduction

in the number of youth in foster care and

a 37-percent reduction of the number of

youth in congregate care.

The Movement for Family Power works

to end the foster care system and create a

world where the dignity and integrity of all

families is valued and supported. It does

so by building community with and among

people working to shrink the foster care

system, raising social consciousness around

the harms of the foster care system in order

to reclaim and reimagine safe and healthy

families, and disrupting and curtailing

foster care system pipelines to reduce the

harm inicted by family separation.

14 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

South Carolina’s CBCAP lead agency, Children’s Trust, is a member of the State’s

Race Equity and Inclusion (REI) Partnership. The partnership has identied three

overarching goals: to deepen relationships among its members; to infuse REI into

ongoing events of its members and provide support to REI events; and to develop a

resource to help partnership members, learning collaborative members, and others

advance REI into organizational practices and policies. In support of the last goal,

they recently developed and produced two workplace guides, one for leadership

and one for practitioners, that highlight practice and policy recommendations to

facilitate greater racial equity and inclusion. Partnership members also supported the

2019 Equity Summit, a space for those actively engaged in race equity and inclusion

efforts across the southeastern United States to lean on and learn from each other.

Minnesota’s Children and Family Services Administration, the State CBCAP lead

agency, recently updated its vision statement as follows: “An equitable Minnesota

where all communities thrive and children, families, and adults live with dignity.”

The vision is supported by four goals that represent a commitment to equity

through engagement and collaboration with communities, families, and children

throughout the child welfare system to prevent involvement with child protection.

The following goals were designed to help Minnesota provide a continuum of care

for children and families:

1. Improve engagement and collaboration with children, parents, relatives/kin, and

resource families

2. Reduce disparities for African-American and American Indian children

throughout the child welfare system

3. Improve access to and utilization of services that meet the needs of children and

families

4. Improve safety, permanency, and well-being outcomes for children and families

through utilization of a statewide continuous quality improvement system

South Carolina

Children’s Trust

Minnesota

Children and

Family Services

Administration

STATE CBCAP

EXAMPLE

Questions to Consider

SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 2

The following are questions to consider about social and cultural norms that encourage positive

parenting practices, family-supportive systems change, and racial equity in your community:

For Staff Working Directly With Families:

 Have I asked the families I work with what being a “good parent” means to them? Who do they listen to

about parenting, or whose opinions matter to them the most?

 What agency policies or practices support parents’ ability to care for their children? What policies or

practices serve as barriers for families to thrive? What role can I play in addressing those barriers?

 How might my personal biases affect the way that I serve some families? How could I learn more about

implicit bias?

16 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

For Agency Leaders and Community Collaboratives:

 How could we assess the social and cultural norms around parenting, positive discipline, and actions to

support children and families in our community as a whole and within various subcommunities?

– How might these norms affect how parenting programs and offers of support are accessed and

received?

– How could we identify the key inuencers in our community that affect individuals’ attitudes and

behaviors? How can relationships with these inuencers be forged and strengthened?

 Which evidence-based policies identied by the Essentials for Childhood framework are currently in

place within our jurisdiction?

– What do our data tell us about which policies are working well for children and families? Which

policies might need to change to enable all families to thrive?

– Who might be willing to partner with us to develop shared messages in support of positive

parenting and systems change for families?

 Do we have a shared understanding or agreement about racial equity within our community coalition or

organization today?

– What is our understanding of the history of race and racism in our community? How does that

continue to affect children, youth, and families today?

– What do the data show about the outcomes that different races and ethnicities experience from

systems, policies, and programs? If disparities are present, which policies or practices contribute

most to those differences?

– Do our staff look like the families and communities they serve?

– What policies and/or practices are currently in place to address systemic inequality in our

community? Is diversity (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, language, geography) represented in

leadership positions guiding the development and implementation of policies that impact children

and families?

– How has our community coalition or organization committed to dismantling systemic inequities?

The system level of the social-ecological model explores

the community and jurisdictional settings within which

parenting occurs. Prevention strategies at the system

level impact the social and physical environment and

require collaboration among multiple organizations.

Increasingly, jurisdictions are embracing a public health

approach to collaborations aimed at preventing child

abuse and neglect. A public health approach focuses on

the health, safety, and well-being of entire populations

rather than on individuals. In a public health approach

to child maltreatment, system partners work collectively

to coordinate their family support efforts and resources,

with the goal of ensuring the greatest benet for the

largest number of people.

Building Protective

Systems: A Public Health

Approach to Preventing

Child Maltreatment

CHAPTER THREE

SYSTEM

ORGANIZATION

SOCIETY

FAMILY COMMUNITY

IN THIS CHAPTER:

 Federal Focus: Supporting

Community Collaborations for

Child Abuse Prevention

 Using Community Data to

Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect

 Taking a Collective Impact

Approach to Family Support

 Implementing Communitywide

Primary Prevention Strategies

18 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Public health is a multidisciplinary, scientic

approach that draws from many elds,

including medicine, epidemiology, sociology,

psychology, and economics. It is grounded in

the analysis of multiple sources of data to

identify the underlying strengths and needs

of the local community: Which groups of

people are most affected by the problem?

Which specic needs are most prevalent?

Where are the areas of greatest need in the

community, and how are community assets

and resources positioned relative to these

areas of greatest need?

Comprehensive data analysis facilitates public

and private stakeholders’ ability to work

together to identify and implement strategies

that effectively address the community’s

unique strengths and needs. Stakeholders

should extend an invitation to participate to

anyone who has an interest in helping families

thrive, including government and nonprot

agencies, businesses, foundations, grassroots

organizers, and persons with lived experience.

Working together in a coordinated way

across sectors has proven more effective than

isolated efforts by individual organizations for

generating large-scale social change.

Such a coordinated effort by many partners

requires a strong sense of collective

responsibility and commitment to a

common goal. Some communities employ a

framework of collective impact, a structured

form of collaboration that brings together

stakeholders committed to solving a specic

social problem. These communities seek to

optimize the health and well-being of children

and families by implementing mutually

reinforcing activities across multiple agencies.

The other hallmark of a public health

approach to child maltreatment prevention

is the use of primary prevention strategies

to promote the skills, strengths, and supports

that all parents need to keep their children

safe and thriving. These efforts are available

to support all families and prevent harm

before it occurs. They include strategies

such as voluntary home visiting and family

resource centers, which are embedded

in the community and offer parents and

caregivers a variety of formal and informal

supports. Primary prevention strategies are

generally less expensive and less intrusive in

the lives of families than child welfare system

involvement and foster care placement.

Building family strengths in this way results in

increased safety, improved health, stronger

communities, and lasting self-sufciency.

LEVELS OF

PREVENTION

TERTIARY

SECONDARY

PRIMARY

Focused on families where

maltreatment has already occurred

Focused on families where risk

factors are present

Directed at the general

population

FEDERAL FOCUS: SUPPORTING COMMUNITY

COLLABORATIONS FOR CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION

Many Federal agencies have an interest in

ensuring that children grow up in nurturing

and safe communities, free from violence.

The following recent Federal grant programs

support multidisciplinary, community-level

efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect.

Community Collaborations to

Strengthen and Preserve Families

Grants

In scal year 2018, the Children’s Bureau

funded the Community Collaborations to

Strengthen and Preserve Families grants to

support further development, implementation,

and evaluation of community-based primary

prevention strategies to strengthen families,

prevent maltreatment, and reduce entries

into the child welfare system. Applicants were

asked to consider how their projects would

support a continuum of integrated family

support and prevention services and enhance

the capacity of communities to address the

well-being needs of families before more

formal interventions were needed.

One grantee, the Nebraska Children

and Families Foundation, developed the

Community Collaborative Toolkit to help

communities assess readiness for change,

plan, build capacity, implement and evaluate

prevention strategies, develop sustainability

plans, and identify policy goals to improve

the impact and long-term outcomes for

children, youth, and families. Based on the

Institute of Medicine’s 2003 Framework for

Collaborative Community Action on Health,

the toolkit provides numerous turnkey tools

and processes to assist in the development of

a priority plan for community well-being.

Child Safety Forward Initiative

The U.S. Department of Justice, Ofce of

Justice Programs, Ofce for Victims of Crime

(OVC) is funding a 3-year demonstration

initiative in ve jurisdictions to develop

strategies and responses to address serious

or near-death injuries as a result of child

abuse or neglect and to reduce the number

of child fatalities. Grantees will take a public

health approach, based on recommendations

from the Commission to Eliminate Child

Abuse and Neglect Fatalities (CECANF).

CECANF’s recommended approach to

child safety engages a broad spectrum of

community agencies and systems to identify,

test, and evaluate strategies to prevent

harm to children. CECANF also emphasized

the importance of strong leadership, data-

driven decision-making, and multidisciplinary

support for families.

Each of the ve funded sites is implementing

CECANF’s vision of reducing serious

injuries and preventing fatalities in its own

way. Technical assistance for grantees

is coordinated by the Within Our Reach

ofce at the Alliance for Strong Families

and Communities and provided by a team

of national experts in data collection and

analysis, safety science and safety culture,

collective impact, engagement of persons

with lived experience, communication

and framing science, and developmental

evaluation.

More information can be found on the

Alliance for Strong Families and Communities

website.

20 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

In 2018, following an

environmental scan

and feedback from key

stakeholders, Children’s Trust

of South Carolina, the State’s

CBCAP lead agency, designed

a cross-sector framework for

local communities that focuses

on supporting child well-being

and preventing ACEs. The

Empower Action Model merges

important frameworks within

public health and community

psychology—the social-

ecological model, protective

factors, the life course

perspective, and race equity

and inclusion—with actionable

items to prevent child

maltreatment, build resilience for all families, and address determinants of equity.

The model is focused on the principles of understanding, support, resilience,

inclusion, connection, and growth at each level of the social-ecological framework.

It provides concrete examples of how to apply each of these principles in a checklist

format. This model can help communities assess their needs and readiness for

change, build partnerships and collaborations, identify areas of opportunity for

growth and development, and create a plan.

Local partner coalitions apply the Empower Action Model to develop action plans to

increase family support and build parental protective factors within their respective

populations. Children’s Trust provides facilitation support and technical assistance

and measures the process and outcomes.

South Carolina is currently working with three communities to implement the

Empower Action Model. One of these efforts, Resilient Midlands, is a countywide

initiative to prevent and mitigate the effects of childhood trauma. Resilient Midlands

includes a communitywide awareness campaign that highlights the social and

economic impacts of ACEs through a series of training opportunities for community

members. The Resilient Midlands coalition includes more than 40 area organizations.

Find more information about the Empower Action Model on the Children’s Trust of

South Carolina website.

Early Childhood Adulthood

Public Policy

Community

Organization

Interpersonal (Family)

Individual (Child)

STATE CBCAP

EXAMPLE

South Carolina

Children’s Trust

Image courtesy of South Carolina Children’s Trust

USING COMMUNITY DATA TO PREVENT CHILD ABUSE

AND NEGLECT

Data are the foundation of a public health

approach. Robust, integrated, multisystemic

data help communities understand the nature

and extent of family risk and protective

factors, map community assets, effectively

direct prevention resources, and monitor the

progress and impact of chosen interventions.

The following are a few of the many ways to

enhance the use of community-level data in

child abuse prevention efforts:

 Support and expand the practice of

data sharing among organizations

serving children, youth, and families,

including the courts, child welfare services,

law enforcement, mental health and

substance use disorder services, and

other systems, to better identify and

serve families in need of support before a

crisis occurs. Data-sharing efforts should

consider issues of condentiality, common

data elements, the integration of different

information systems, and other factors.

 Review and present data with a racial

equity lens. According to Racial Equity

Tools, using an equity lens requires

consistently disaggregating data by

race and ethnicity. When disparity or

disproportionality is revealed, explore

structural causes to avoid perpetuating

group stereotypes.

 Explore ethical uses of predictive

analytics, which is the use of past data

to predict what will happen in the future.

Such approaches may improve the

accuracy of decision-making and help

ensure scarce resources reach those

who need them most. Many experts

agree that predictive analytics are most

useful when data supports (rather than

supplants) human judgment and when

systems are implemented with community

transparency and input.

 Use data mapping, which uses

geographic information systems to

visualize specic demographic information

along geographic boundaries. For

example, researchers can look at the

correlation between poverty rates or

other demographic data and reports of

child abuse in neighborhoods to begin

to understand where additional resources

may be needed or why certain areas have

higher rates of foster care.

 Track the well-being of children and

families over time. Data can help monitor

the progress of individual prevention

strategies, assess how well they are

working, and inform where changes

are needed to improve outcomes.

Some communities are exploring the

development of community-level safety

and well-being indicators to provide

similar information about the success of

their collaborative efforts.

Predict Align Prevent: Data Mapping to

Support Child Abuse Prevention

Funding for child maltreatment prevention

and related social services is limited. To

benet the greatest number of children and

families, it is critical for communities to know

two things:

1. What is the most effective combination of

child maltreatment prevention services?

2. Where should those services be located?

Predict Align Prevent attempts to answer

those questions by using data mapping to

predict where future child maltreatment will

occur before it occurs and to determine

which protective factors will be most helpful

in preventing it in each unique community.

At a national level, Predict Align Prevent

hopes to eventually identify the combinations

of programs, services, and infrastructure

that reliably prevent child maltreatment and

related risks across jurisdictions.

22 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Predict Align Prevent undertakes a three-

step process in partnership with existing

community leaders, stakeholders, community

members, and coalitions:

 Predict : Machine learning (a form of

articial intelligence) predicts where child

maltreatment is likely to occur in the future

by identifying the places where children

have historically been at greatest risk

of maltreatment in the community and

how that correlates to other risk factors. It

does this geographically, without proling

individuals.

 Align : Communities identify where

prevention services and other critical

supports are offered and how those

locations match up with the highest

risk areas for maltreatment. These data

support community partners in developing

and executing a data-driven strategic plan

for prevention.

 Prevent : Over time, the effectiveness

of prevention efforts is evaluated using

objective, population-level measures

of child health and safety. This quality

improvement cycle is intended to

uncover, strengthen, and replicate

effective prevention initiatives.

Predict Align Prevent’s machine-learning

tools are open-source and available to all

communities. For more information, visit the

Predict Align Prevent website.

The Arkansas Children’s Trust Fund within the State’s Division of Children and

Family Services (DCFS) worked with Predict Align Prevent to complete an analysis

of child maltreatment risk in Little Rock, the State’s most populous city. The project

mapped past maltreatment, child and adult deaths, crime, and other risk factors

associated with maltreatment, as well as protective factors such as child care centers,

churches, and home visiting programs. The resulting maps clearly demonstrate

that child abuse and neglect cooccur geographically with other poor outcomes,

providing a powerful visualization of community needs.

The next step will be to align resources where they can do the most good. For

example, one of the most signicant ndings is the discovery that 53 percent of

all preventable child deaths in Little Rock occurred in the 15 percent of the city

where child maltreatment risk is highest. Furthermore, almost all child maltreatment

fatalities occurred in the two highest risk areas of the city. These insights can help

the city more precisely target primary prevention programs.

DCFS convened an advisory board of State and local stakeholders to review the

data. Members of this group represent a cross section of organizations related to

children and family services: early childhood education programs, the Little Rock

school district, City of Little Rock employees, domestic violence shelters, homeless

shelters, the local children’s hospital, substance use treatment providers, and many

more. Predict Align Prevent also invited input from local faith leaders and worked

with a team at the University of Arkansas to conduct focus groups with community

members of high-risk areas. The advisory board assisted DCFS in conducting an

environmental scan to identify the programs already serving children and families in

high-need areas and pinpoint any gaps.

Once the analysis and environmental scans are completed, the advisory board

will recommend evidence-based strategies to address identied risk factors and

promote more protective factors for families. These recommendations will serve as a

blueprint for securing and deploying new resources as they become available.

Arkansas

Children’s Trust

Fund

STATE CBCAP

EXAMPLE

TAKING A COLLECTIVE IMPACT APPROACH TO FAMILY

SUPPORT

Collective impact is one strategy that

communities have found useful when

organizing diverse, multidisciplinary teams

in pursuit of a common goal, such as

preventing child maltreatment and increasing

protective factors within families. Collective

impact differs from collaboration in that it

involves structured, systemic attention to

the relationships between organizations and

how they work together. Agencies focused

on child abuse prevention may nd that their

goals are consistent with a community group

that is already employing a collective impact

approach. If not, they might consider starting

a collective impact group.

Effective collective impact initiatives include

meaningful engagement and leadership

of youth, caregivers, and others with lived

experiences from the communities they serve.

Without intentional community engagement

and involvement, proposed solutions may not

be appropriate, acceptable, or compatible

with community needs, and changes may

reinforce existing inequitable power structures.

The following are essential principles of

collective impact practice:

 Design and implement the initiative with a

priority on equity.

 Include community members in the

collaborative.

 Recruit and cocreate with cross-sector

partners.

 Use data to continuously learn, adapt, and

improve.

 Cultivate leaders with unique system

leadership skills.

 Focus on programs and system strategies.

 Build a culture that fosters relationships,

trust, and respect across participants.

 Customize for local context.

Find more information, visit the Collective

Impact Forum.

Collective impact is commonly identied by ve essential conditions:

 Common agenda, including a shared vision for child and family well-being, a

common understanding of the problem of child maltreatment, and a joint approach

to preventing maltreatment or increasing protective factors within families

 Shared measurement systems, with agreement on how child abuse prevention

and family well-being will be measured and reported for accountability

 Mutually reinforcing activities undertaken by participants in ways that support

and coordinate with other partners within an overarching plan

 Continuous communication among partners to develop trust and a common

vocabulary

 Backbone support provided by a separate organization and staff with specic

skills in facilitation, technology, communications, data collection and reporting, and

logistics

24 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

90by30: Using Collective Impact to

Build a Prevention Partnership

90by30 is a community-campus primary

prevention partnership in Lane County, OR,

housed in the University of Oregon’s Center

for the Prevention of Abuse and Neglect. It

is rooted in local concerns and needs and

incorporates a collective impact framework

focused on the protective factors. Members of

90by30’s Regional Leadership Teams represent

faith-based communities, education systems,

child protection agencies, businesses, service

groups, governments, legal communities, and

survivors of abuse and neglect.

In 2013, 90by30 launched a countywide

telephone survey to achieve a baseline

understanding of community norms related

to child maltreatment prevention. The survey

found that the vast majority of Lane County

adults believed that everyone has a role in

preventing child abuse and neglect

(85 percent) and that keeping children safe

is one of the most important responsibilities

of adulthood (98 percent). By contrast, nearly

half (43 percent) of survey respondents were

not sure what they could do personally to

solve the problem.

The county was divided into seven

geographic regions. Each regional team, led

by local residents volunteering their time,

developed its own prevention plan with a

unique blend of research-informed strategies

and resources mapped to protective factors.

For example, several of the county’s rural

regions selected the Welcome Baby Bundle as

a key strategy to decrease parental isolation.

This program offers all new parents both

concrete support and social connections in

the form of a gift box stocked with essential

infant care items and information about

community resources. Numerous community

organizations and groups are involved in

creating and donating the contents.

90by30 has a vigorous research agenda,

including a prevalence study, which was

piloted recently in Lane County Schools,

that will track rates of abuse and neglect

in Lane County and Oregon over time.

The regional plans are also complemented

by an overarching countywide strategy:

the K(no)w More media campaign, which

emphasizes that once we know more about

child abuse and how to prevent it, we can

say no more to anything that harms children

and families. It emphasizes the idea that every

person in the community has a role to play in

ending child abuse. The K(no)w More website

launched in April 2019 and was bolstered by

radio public service announcements and a

social media presence.

“We want to give people the tools to

‘play their part’ in keeping kids safe and

healthy. If we can change the mindset that

child abuse is someone else’s problem—a

problem to be solved by the police or child

protective services or schools—we can shift

the social norms that keep us from coming

together as a ‘village’ to raise a child.”

—90by30 website

IMPLEMENTING COMMUNITYWIDE PRIMARY PREVENTION

STRATEGIES

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau. (2018). Strengthening families through primary

prevention of child maltreatment and unnecessary parent-child separation (ACYF-CB-IM-18-05).

No family raises their children completely

alone or without support. All parents benet

from a temporary “boost”—someone to listen

and offer advice; a place to go for respite and

social connection; or help with rent, child care,

or transportation. These supports, whether

formal or informal, are primary prevention

strategies that strengthen the environment

within which all families—regardless of race,

income, or creed—raise their children.

“Primary prevention addresses

one simple question: How can

we be more proactive in helping

to strengthen the protective

capacities of families and keep

them safe and healthy? The goal

of primary prevention is to help all

families thrive.”

—Deborah Daro, Ph.D., senior research

fellow, Chapin Hall at the University of

Chicago

Promising and successful primary prevention

programs include services and resources that

have the following characteristics:

 Available to anyone who lives in the

community, not just to families deemed to

be at risk

 Offered on a voluntary basis

 Place-based and centrally located within

the communities where families live,

ensuring easy accessibility

 Aligned with community values, norms,

and culture

 Offered by public, nonprot, faith-based,

or private providers that are independent

of the government

 Focused on enhancing parental protective

factors

 Inclusive of concrete supports (e.g., limited

nancial assistance, food assistance,

housing assistance, legal services, respite

or child care), clinical services, and peer

mentoring

 Provided through braided funding that

may include Federal, State, county, city,

and private dollars

Many of these things serve to support positive

community norms (see page 7) around

help-seeking. They create an environment

where the need to ask for help is not viewed

as a threat to the family’s integrity. In this

context, participating in services to prevent

problems from arising or becoming worse is

viewed as a strength rather than a weakness.

Universal Home Visiting Builds Family

Protective Factors

Home visiting is a service-delivery model

employed in many communities to offer

support to parents. When it is offered to

all families in the service area, regardless

of socioeconomic status or risk factors, it

is considered a “universal” program and a

primary prevention strategy.

Home visiting programs can target a

wide variety of family health and well-

being outcomes, including reduced child

maltreatment, increased protective factors,

better prenatal and postnatal health for

mothers and babies, increased use of

positive parenting strategies, and enhanced

connection of families to other supports and

services in the community.

26 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

A number of evidence-based home visiting

models have been developed. Many of these

models provide specialized support to parents

and children in high-priority families, such as

families with low incomes or young parents, or

to individuals serving in the military. However,

others take a universal, primary prevention

approach. Examples of these programs

include the following:

 Family Connects, developed in

Durham, NC

 Welcome Baby, Los Angeles, CA

 Hello Baby, Allegheny County, PA

 First Born, New Mexico

In these models, nurse visitors or parent

coaches work with all families who accept a

visit to identify what support they want and

need. If further support is desired, home

visitors provide an individualized, stigma-free

entry point into the community’s system of

care through referrals to other, more intensive

home visiting programs, income and housing

support, and health and social services.

For example, Family Connects is an evidence-

based program (EBP) that connects all parents

of newborns in the service area, regardless

of socioeconomic status, to the community

resources they need through postpartum

nurse home visits. The model was rst piloted

in Durham, NC, in 2008. It is now the country’s

most widely implemented universal home

visiting model.

Randomized controlled trials have shown

that Family Connects strengthens protective

factors, such as the following:

 Parental resilience: Mothers were less

likely to report postpartum depression or

anxiety.

 Knowledge of parenting and child

development: Mothers reported

signicantly more positive parenting

behaviors, such as hugging, comforting

and reading to their infants.

 Nurturing and attachment: Mothers

expressed increased responsivity to, and

acceptance of, their infants.

 Concrete supports: Home environments

were improved, with homes being safer

and having more learning materials to

support infant development.

 Social connections: Community

connections increased.

In one trial, families who participated had

lower rates of investigation for suspected

child abuse and neglect through the second

year of life.

Questions to Consider

SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 3

The following are questions to consider as you build more supportive systems for children and

families:

For Staff Working Directly With Families:

 What types of data, if any, does my agency provide me about the strengths and needs of families in the

community I serve? How can those data be used to support the families I serve?

 What community-level collaborations am I aware of? Is there an opportunity to start or be more engaged

in a collaboration to support families?

 Where do the families I serve already seek and receive support in their community? How can I connect

the families I work with to additional voluntary supports, if they identify a need?

28 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

For Agency Leaders and Community Collaboratives:

 What are the sources of data that could help us understand families’ strengths and needs at a

population level?

– What prevents or impedes data sharing in our community? Who could help us address these barriers?

– Are we consistently viewing our organizational- and community-level data with an equity lens?

– How might our community benet from the use of predictive analytics or data mapping? (Check

out Casey Family Programs’ free, interactive Community Opportunity Map.)

 What collaborations already exist in our community to help families and children thrive? How can we

contribute? Consider lending your voice and skills to an existing collaboration before starting a new one,

if possible. Places to look for collaborators with similar goals include the elds of public health, early

childhood education, and violence prevention.

– What sectors are currently represented in our collaborative groups? Which are missing or

underrepresented? Have we reached out to philanthropic partners, the business community, and

faith communities?

– How are we engaging or inviting the voices and leadership of community members and persons

with lived experience in our efforts?

– If we are not currently using collective impact, how could that model provide a helpful structure for

our efforts?

– If our collaboration does not have a backbone organization, what organization(s) have the capacity

to provide that kind of support to further and sustain collaborative efforts?

 What are the primary prevention strategies in our community? How can we strengthen those supports

to help all families thrive?

– What evidence-based or evidence-supported child maltreatment prevention strategies are currently

available to all families in our community? Which could be expanded? Where are the gaps?

– How could our community normalize seeking and receiving support by families? Which families are

more likely to engage in family support and prevention services and why? What steps do we need

to take to ensure a more universal approach to engaging all families in prevention services?

The third level of our social-ecological model recognizes

that organizations can and often must make changes

to their own programs and policies to better align with

communitywide prevention approaches and to more

effectively build protective factors within families.

The well-being of children cannot be separated from

the well-being of their families and communities. When

we support caregivers and other adults, in addition

to providing services directly to children, we naturally

enhance well-being and help prevent child abuse and

neglect (along with other poor outcomes). This is often

described as taking a “two-generation approach” or

a “whole-family approach.” Two-generation (2Gen)

approaches build family well-being by intentionally

and simultaneously working with children and the adults

in their lives together.

Aligning Organizations

for Family Resilience

and Healing

CHAPTER FOUR

SYSTEM

ORGANIZATION

SOCIETY

FAMILY COMMUNITY

IN THIS CHAPTER:

 Employing Two-Generation

Approaches to Strengthen

Families

 Implementing Trauma-Informed

Care for Children and Their

Families

 Federal Focus: National Child

Traumatic Stress Network

 Understanding the Protective

Effects of Positive Childhood

Experiences

30 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

In working with the whole family, it is

important to recognize how trauma can

impact both children and their caregivers.

ACEs research has shown that exposure to

traumatic experiences—including divorce,

domestic violence, parental incarceration,

mental illness, and substance misuse—

can have lifelong health impacts. Recent

discoveries in neuroscience demonstrate

that a prolonged, unresolved “toxic” stress

response triggered by ACEs and other

traumatic experiences can physiologically

alter the structure of the brain. Becoming

more trauma-informed and healing-

centered helps organizations and systems

meet parents and caregivers where they are

and support them in building capacity to

protect and nurture their children. Becoming

more trauma-informed can also help

organizations better understand and support

their own staff, many of whom have personal

trauma histories and/or are exposed to

secondary traumatic stress (STS) through their

day-to-day work with families.

Research is now identifying positive

childhood experiences (PCEs) that may

reduce the long-term effects of ACEs. These

ndings underscore the importance of

focusing on the critical early relationships

between children and their caregivers, while

also suggesting evidence-informed ways to

build resilience for children into adolescence.

We know that changes in the brain continue

to occur at key periods throughout our

lifetimes. Healing is possible at any age, and

there is always room for hope. Understanding

the factors that support resilience, including

protective factors and other PCEs, helps

organizations develop and maintain a

positive focus.

Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services, Ofce of Child Development and

Early Learning (the State’s CBCAP lead agency) supports responsible fatherhood

programs throughout the State, many of which receive CBCAP funding. These

programs take a 2Gen approach to supporting, counseling, and challenging fathers

to become strong and positive role models within their families. Studies have shown

that involved fathers provide practical support in raising children and serve as

models for their development. Children with involved, loving fathers are signicantly

more likely to do well in school, have healthy self-esteem, and exhibit empathy and

prosocial behavior compared to children who have uninvolved fathers. Fatherhood

programs help fathers achieve the following:

• Strengthen positive father-child engagement

• Improve employment and economic mobility opportunities

• Improve healthy relationships (including coparenting)

Some agencies implement fatherhood classes; others provide more direct one-on-

one interventions. In Allegheny County, the Promoting Responsible Fatherhood

(PRF) program conducts outreach to target populations and participates in a

quarterly community dinner, hosting a table with activities and information for both

children and families. In Lancaster County, PRF collaborates closely with Head Start

and Parents as Teachers to ensure targeted outreach. The program also collaborates

with Teen ELECT to identify and support teen fathers.

Pennsylvania

Ofce of Child

Development

and Early

Learning

STATE CBCAP

EXAMPLE

EMPLOYING TWO-GENERATION APPROACHES TO

STRENGTHEN FAMILIES

Ascend, Aspen Institute. Advancing family economic mobility. A 2Gen approach.

The protective factors framework has long

recognized the interdependence of child and

family well-being, noting the importance of

parental resilience, concrete support, and

social connections to the prevention of child

abuse and neglect. However, many human

service organizations still offer support in

exclusively a child-focused or parent-focused

way. 2Gen approaches build family well-being

by intentionally and simultaneously working

with children and the adults in their lives.

For example, at the onset of the COVID-19

pandemic, many jurisdictions faced a

choice in how to respond to a sudden

decline in child protection hotline calls

and accompanying concerns about child

safety. Some took a strictly child safety-

focused approach by alerting mandatory

reporters to stay mindful and ensuring they

understood when and how to report safety

concerns. Others took a 2Gen approach,

working collectively with their communities to

promote both child safety and family well-

being through concrete supports, warmlines

and other mental health services for adults,

testing and treatment for COVID-related

illness, and child care for essential workers.

Research shows that supporting children and

their caregivers together through a 2Gen

approach yields benets for generations:

 A college degree doubles a parent’s

income.

 A $3,000 increase in family income

during early childhood is associated with

a 17-percent increase in a child’s future

earnings as an adult.

 High quality early childhood education

offers a 14-percent return on investment.

 Parents with health insurance are more

likely to seek care for their children.

There are ve key components of the 2Gen

approach: postsecondary education and

employment pathways, early childhood

education and development, economic assets,

health and well-being, and social capital. For

child-focused programs (e.g., early childhood

development programs), embracing a 2Gen

approach means building in supports for

caregivers, such as parenting skills training,

family literacy, and health screening. Similarly,

for caregiver-focused programs (e.g.,

workforce education), it means incorporating

child-focused supports such as early learning

or food and nutrition programs.

2Gen programs and policies are ultimately

measured by how well they meet the needs of

the whole family. However, not all programs

can serve the needs of both children and the

adults in their lives. In many cases, taking

a 2Gen approach may require connecting

with other organizations in your community

to ensure that the communitywide system of

care supports the full continuum of child and

caregiver needs.

Image courtesy of Ascend at the Aspen Institute

32 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Ascend at the Aspen Institute Offers A

Roadmap for a 2Gen Approach

Ascend, one of 36 policy programs at the Aspen

Institute, is a hub for breakthrough ideas and

collaborations that move children and their parents

toward educational success and economic security

using a 2Gen approach. Ascend describes a 2Gen/

whole-family organization continuum that many

organizations progress through as they deepen their

2Gen work:

 Approach: A 2Gen approach rst requires a new

mindset for designing programs and policies that

serve children and parents simultaneously. This often

begins with culture-change initiatives, training, and

professional development to help staff reenvision

services and supports for families.

 Strategy: In the next phase, organizations begin

aligning and coordinating services with other

community partners to meet the needs of all family

members. Piloting new approaches to services also

occurs during the strategy phase.

 Organization: In the third phase, organizations

provide services to both children and the adults in

their lives simultaneously, tracking outcomes for both.

The Ascend National Network includes more than 420

partners active in all 50 states, the District of Columbia,

and Puerto Rico. There are a number of case studies

and resources to advance 2Gen approaches available

on the Ascend website.

“The birth of a child is a time of biological

and neurological change, not just

for infants but also for their primary

caregivers. If you reach a parent at just

the right moment, they are often much

more open, ready, and motivated to

access education or job training because

they want to provide for their kids.”

—Anne Mosle, vice president, Aspen Institute, and

executive director, Ascend

The Yurok Tribe established Joint

Jurisdiction Family Wellness Courts with

Del Norte County and Humboldt County,

CA. The partnership developed a 2Gen

prevention program to help young families

struggling with maternal substance use

disorders stay together and thrive.

County child welfare agencies are often

unable to develop a plan of safe care or

provide services to families struggling with

substance misuse until after an infant is

born. Too many of those infants are then

separated from their families, at a critical

time for bonding and development, until

the care plan can be implemented. Through

this partnership with the Tribal court and

Tribal service providers, Tribal members

who are pregnant or have just given birth

and who are struggling with substance

use are now offered a voluntary, strength-

based, and culturally grounded family

wellness plan and can begin receiving

support before their infants are born.

These comprehensive plans provide

opportunities to decrease harm to an

unborn infant and address the needs of

all family members. When a child welfare

agency is notied of an infant affected by

prenatal substance exposure, it can factor

the plan into its decisions, often preventing

separation of the infant from the family.

The plans include linkages to services

such as medication-assisted treatment,

substance use disorder counseling,

and child care, as well as programs that

promote healthier connections to family,

Tribal identity, and culture.

The program is new but has already

shown some promise in preventing family

separation and strengthening infant well-

being. Partners hope that early successes

will help destigmatize support and

encourage more women with substance

use disorders to come forward for

treatment during their pregnancies.

Colorado’s Department of Human Services kicked off a departmentwide 2Gen

approach, 2GO, in 2015. The department employs an integrated framework of

economic supports, education, skills building, early childhood education, and

social supports.

CBCAP funds supported several 2GO grant opportunities. Focus Points Family

Resource Center’s Huerta Urbana program worked with immigrant women in

northeast Denver through an “earning while learning” model. The program taught

technical agricultural skills, business development skills, and transferable soft

skills through a healthy eating and nutrition curriculum with activities for adults

and children, both separately and together. Participants experienced at least a

15-percent increase in income during and after the program.

A second CBCAP-supported program, Joint Initiatives for Youth and Families in El

Paso County, TX, sought to reduce child maltreatment and improve economic and

educational success for parents in neighborhoods with concentrated poverty. This

was accomplished by building neighborhood-level leadership and maintaining its

Shared Leadership Consortium, which is composed of at least 51 percent parent

leaders. The project gathered data about effective family support through focus

groups, Parent Cafés, and community forums and created 2Gen services to meet

the community’s identied needs.

IMPLEMENTING TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE FOR CHILDREN

AND THEIR FAMILIES

According to the National Child Traumatic

Stress Network (NCTSN), a trauma-informed

child and family service system is

… one in which all parties involved

recognize and respond to the impact

of traumatic stress on those who have

contact with the system including children,

caregivers, and service providers. Programs

and agencies within such a system infuse

and sustain trauma awareness, knowledge,

and skills into their organizational

cultures, practices, and policies. They act

in collaboration with all those who are

involved with the child, using the best

available science, to maximize physical and

psychological safety, facilitate the recovery

of the child and family, and support their

ability to thrive.

Agencies and programs within such a

system regularly screen children and families

for trauma exposure and provide or refer

to evidence-based, culturally responsive

treatment for symptoms of traumatic stress.

They also engage in efforts to strengthen

resilience and protective factors for children

and families vulnerable to trauma.

The following are characteristics of trauma-

informed organizations:

 Understand that families play an

important role in preventing and

recovering from trauma. Carrying out

rituals and traditions, sharing memories

and feelings, and working together to

solve problems, manage stress, and plan

for the future are all ways that families

can weather a traumatic event and grow

stronger together.

Colorado

Department of

Human Services

Texas (El Paso

County)

Joint Initiatives

for Youth and

Families

STATE CBCAP

EXAMPLE

34 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

 Acknowledge that all families

experience trauma differently. Many

factors, including a child’s age and the

family’s culture or ethnicity, may inuence

how a family copes and recovers from

trauma. Trauma-informed systems

acknowledge structural inequalities and

respond to the unique needs of diverse

communities with cultural awareness and

humility. Even within families, different

members may have different reactions to

the same event.

 Encourage partnership among families,

youth, and providers. Such partnerships

benet from both professional expertise

and personal experiences to achieve more

successful and meaningful outcomes

that are codened by all members of the

relationship. True partnerships require

mutual respect and shared responsibility

for planning, selecting, and evaluating

services and supports.

 Attend to staff trauma and STS. When

individuals hear about the traumatic

experiences of others, they can experience

empathetic emotional distress. Exposure

to clients’ trauma may also activate trauma

triggers from the staff member’s own past.

These experiences can lead to symptoms

of STS, which is common among helping

professionals. Unaddressed, STS can

negatively affect staff’s professional and

personal lives. Organizations can address

STS through supervisory support, training,

and policies that encourage self-care (e.g.,

ex time, caseload management).

“When you have a workforce

that understands what trauma is,

the impact of it, and what they

can do about it in their role, and

when they feel supported and

have some skills to help them

cope with their own emotions and

trauma history, then you have a

staff who can engage, connect,

and be compassionate with

families. In simple terms, that’s

what it’s all about.”

—Jane Halladay Goldman, director of

service systems, NCTSN

The Northwest Ohio Regional Prevention Council provides trauma-informed

consultations and train-the-trainer trainings in early childhood settings throughout

the region. Consultation services take a collaborative approach that allows the child

care providers to better understand and problem-solve challenging child behaviors,

both in and outside of the classroom. As early child care providers assess children

for behavioral services, they are able to ensure that children who have experienced

trauma can be appropriately referred for services.

Trauma-informed consultants work onsite to help centers provide family-focused

technical assistance to parents and child care providers and to reinforce best

practices through modeling and activities with children. The training includes a unit

on STS called “Understanding Your Own Trauma and Building Resilience.”

Northwest

Ohio Regional

Prevention

Council

STATE CBCAP

EXAMPLE

FEDERAL FOCUS: NATIONAL

CHILD TRAUMATIC STRESS

NETWORK

NCTSN was created by Congress in 2000 to

raise the standard of care and increase access to

services for children and families who experience

or witness traumatic events. This unique

network of frontline providers, family members,

researchers, and national partners is committed

to changing the course of children’s lives by

improving their care and moving scientic gains

quickly into practice across the United States.

NCTSN is administered by the Substance Abuse

and Mental Health Services Administration and

coordinated by the UCLA-Duke University National

Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCCTS).

The NCTSN Trauma-Informed Organizational

Assessment is a tool to help organizations assess

their current practices in the context of serving

children and families who have experienced

trauma. Results from the assessment can drive

change to facilitate the recovery of the child

and family, maximize physical and psychological

safety, provide for the needs and well-being of

staff, and support the child’s and family’s ability

to thrive. Created by NCCTS, the assessment

is arranged by domains and maps onto the

NCTSN denition of a trauma-informed child and

family service system. The following domains are

included in the assessment:

 Trauma screening

 Assessment, care planning, and treatment

 Workforce development

 Strengthening resilience and protective factors

 Addressing parent and caregiver trauma

 Continuity of care and cross-system

collaboration

 Addressing, reducing, and treating STS

 Partnering with youth and families

 Addressing the intersections of culture, race,

and trauma

When the Salt River Pima-Maricopa

Indian Community recognized that its

social services programs were seeing

recurring struggles in multiple generations

of the same families, the Tribal Council

undertook a new initiative to become

better informed as a community about

historical and intergenerational trauma.

They began with focus groups, an

organizational survey, and interviews

with staff in three departments (social

services, the family advocacy center, and

health and human services) that encounter

many of the same families. All staff, as

well as all members of the Tribal Council,

received training on trauma, historical

trauma, and developing a healthy racial

and ethnic identity.

The community’s behavioral health

services and family advocacy center now

employ trauma-trained therapists who

offer evidence-based, culturally responsive

treatment. They use the Medicine Wheel,

familiar to many American Indian/Alaska

Native people, to explain the impact of

trauma on families and encourage healing.

The Department of Social Services created

the Circles of Support program, which

accepts referrals from multiple Tribal

departments, including education, to

identify and wrap services around families

at risk before they reach a crisis. When

a crisis does occur and child protective

services are needed, a trauma response

team provides advocacy and support to

the family involved.

36 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Once deployed, the assessment will

contribute to the body of evidence around

the importance of being trauma informed. If

you are interested in using this tool, please

contact TIOA@nctsn.org.

The Intermountain Healthcare (Utah) care

process model, Diagnosis and Management

of Traumatic Stress in Pediatric Patients, is

another tool funded by NCTSN. The guide

cites the high prevalence of traumatic

experiences, their disproportionate impact

on children of color, and poor health and

mental health outcomes as the reason the

guide was developed. It offers best-practice

recommendations for primary care and

children’s advocacy center settings,

age-appropriate screening tools and road

maps for care, and specic guidance for

immediate in-ofce interventions for specic

trauma symptoms. Care providers are urged

to follow up with children and families at

regular intervals.

UNDERSTANDING THE PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF POSITIVE

CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES

In the same way that protective factors

balance our understanding of risk factors,

it is important to understand how positive

experiences, as well as adverse ones,

inuence brain development. Recent research

has begun to explore the ways in which

positive childhood experiences (PCEs)—

including supportive environments and strong

relationships with family and peers—help

children develop normally and become

resilient to adversity. Adding these ndings to

the body of research around ACEs provides

useful insight into how families, communities,

and organizations can help children thrive.

The Wisconsin Behavioral Risk Factor Survey

examined the impact of seven PCEs:

 Feeling able to talk to family members

about feelings

 Feeling that family stood by them during

difcult times

 Enjoying participating in community

traditions

 Feeling a sense of belonging in high school

 Feeling supported by friends

 Having at least two nonparent adults who

took genuine interest in them

 Feeling safe and protected by an adult in

their home

An analysis of the data demonstrated that,

compared to people with none of the PCEs

included in the study, those who had six or

seven PCEs had a 72-percent lower chance

of having depression or poor mental health.

Adults with three to ve PCEs experienced

a 50-percent reduction in the odds of adult

depression. The analysis also found that,

although risk and resources are unequally

distributed in our society, the effect of

positive experiences to mitigate poor health

outcomes was similarly strong for all income

groups. These ndings led the researchers to

conclude that PCEs can protect children from

developing toxic stress in the face of adversity

and help them heal.

The family strengths and positive experiences

measured in this study are accessible to all

families. Agencies and staff working directly

with families can use this information,

alongside a protective factors framework, to

support families and adolescents in creating

more opportunities for these evidence-

informed PCEs.

The HOPE Framework: Building

Child-Level Protective Factors

HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive

Experiences) combines insights from a

public health approach to preventing child

maltreatment with a broader understanding

of how children grow to become strong,

healthy, and resilient adults. HOPE focuses on

the buffering effects of PCEs and builds on

preexisting strengths in children and families.

A corollary to the CDC’s community-level

approach to emphasizing safe, stable, and

nurturing relationships and environments, the

HOPE framework focuses on the individual

child level. It echoes and builds upon the

protective factors framework.

The tenants of the HOPE framework were

derived by looking for common elements

among successful programs that help children

and adolescents. The framework developers

identied four building blocks for HOPE:

 Nurturing and supportive relationships

with peers, parents, and adults outside

the family. In early childhood, the secure

attachments that children form with

affectionate and responsive parents

create the template for all their future

relationships. As kids grow up, peer

relationships and romantic relationships

become more important.

 Safe and stable environments. We

know that children need protective and

equitable places to develop, learn, and

play. Positive environments support stable

housing, adequate nutrition and sleep,

high-quality learning and play, and access

to high-quality medical and dental care.

When communities provide these spaces,

kids can thrive.

 Constructive engagement and social

connectedness. We all need to know

that we matter to other people and to our

communities. That starts when children

are given responsibilities for family chores.

Older children and teenagers benet

from opportunities to volunteer in their

communities and participate in their

school activities, faith communities, and

cultural traditions.

 Opportunities to develop social and

emotional intelligence through playing

and learning with peers and collaboration

in art, drama, and music. Social and

emotional competencies like self-awareness

and self-regulation are key to lifelong

resilience and social support as adults.

Image courtesy of HOPE

(Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences)

38 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Idaho Children’s Trust Fund, the State’s CBCAP lead, launched its new HOPE

Conquers ACEs initiative to train professionals in organizations and institutions

that work directly with families on brain development, trauma, ACEs, and PCEs.

Trainers across the State offer presentations that open dialogue and foster

community engagement on a variety of parenting topics. They also offer facilitated

viewings of the lms Resilience and Paper Tigers, both of which highlight the

impacts of childhood trauma and ways it can be successfully addressed.

Idaho

Children’s

Trust Fund

STATE CBCAP

EXAMPLE

“We need to see the people we interact

with in a more complete way than we can

with ACEs screening alone. Adversity is not

destiny—science shows that many people

who suffered quite a bit turn out okay. We

can use that knowledge to help people

so they don’t feel that they’re doomed or

damaged in some way because they’ve

had adversity. And we can begin to identify

specic things that parents can do to help

promote resilience as their children grow up.”

—Robert Sege, M.D., Ph.D., professor, Tufts University

School of Medicine

Questions to Consider

SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 4

The following are questions to consider as you align your work with a whole-family, trauma-

informed approach to child abuse prevention.

For Staff Working Directly With Families:

 Which partner agencies in the community provide services that could complement those I provide, to

ensure that every family member’s needs are met?

 What training have I received in trauma-informed care? How does my recognition of trauma, including

historical and racial trauma, affect my practice with children, youth, and families?

 Am I aware of how the experiences of families on my caseload trigger my own trauma history? How do I

care for myself, including seeking support when needed?

 How might an awareness of PCEs change my work with families? Which PCEs can I help families create

for their children and youth?

40 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

For Agency Leaders and Community Collaboratives:

 Is our organization more parent-focused or child-focused, or do we take a 2Gen approach?

– How could we partner with other organizations to enhance the range of supports for all members

of the families we serve?

– How could our organization move toward a 2Gen approach? If we provide child-focused services,

how might we supplement with services for parents, or vice versa?

 In what areas has our organization become trauma-informed? (See the list of domains in NCTSN’s self-

assessment, referenced on page 35.) What are some opportunities for growth?

– What are the roots of trauma in our communities? In what areas has our organization become

involved in preventing trauma? Are there times when our organization may further traumatize

children or families?

– How does our agency recognize the role of race, culture, ethnicity, and inequality in family and

caregiver experiences of trauma and healing?

– How does our agency partner with families and youth in planning, selecting, and evaluating

trauma-informed and healing-centered services and supports?

– How do our agency’s training, supervision, and policies help to prevent and address STS among

our workforce?

 How might we create or support positive childhood experiences through our programming and outreach?

The fourth layer of the social-ecological model

highlights the spaces where child abuse prevention

and family support agencies interact and engage

with the communities they serve. Community and

family members with lived experience offer a unique

perspective that, when heeded, can improve family

engagement and ultimately increase the effectiveness

of services.

We know that, despite our best efforts, child welfare

systems continue to disproportionately intervene in

families living in poverty and families of color, who

generally have very little power or voice in a system

that affects the most intimate aspects of their lives.

Their involvement with the system too often results

in additional trauma, instead of healing. Although

direct service providers are on the front lines of work

with families, the burden of this legacy cannot fall

on their shoulders alone. Frontline workers, agency

administrators, and community leaders alike must

Embracing Community

and the Wisdom of

Lived Experience

CHAPTER FIVE

SYSTEM

ORGANIZATION

SOCIETY

FAMILY COMMUNITY

IN THIS CHAPTER:

 Federal Focus: Head Start/Early

Head Start Policy Councils

 Valuing Community Voice

in Program Assessment,

Implementation, and Evaluation

 Growing Authentic Partnerships

With Parents, Caregivers, and

Youth

42 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

commit to new ways of listening to the

wisdom of people with lived experience and

developing meaningful partnerships with the

communities and families they serve.

Community members are best positioned

to know the strengths their neighborhoods

possess, understand the challenges they

face, and propose innovative solutions.

Effective systems value the knowledge and

observations of community members about

their own lived experience, their strengths and

needs, and community capacities and seek to

share power equitably.

Meaningful and authentic partnership

with families and community members

with lived experience goes far beyond

seeking their input on initiatives or having

them represented on committees or

in meetings. It means giving parents,

caregivers, and youth the opportunity to

be heard and to actively contribute to all

decisions that affect their lives at all levels

of policy, research, and practice. It also

means soliciting and using the perceptions,

experiences, and recommendations of those

with lived expertise to inform system-level

improvements. Utilizing and integrating family,

youth, and community voice in all aspects of

decision-making is a strength-based approach

that can increase engagement. Parents,

caregivers, and youth should be compensated

for their expertise and provided with whatever

is needed to support their full involvement.

The strategies and examples highlighted in

this chapter show that it is possible to tap

into the tremendous wisdom and strength

present in our communities, align our efforts

with those of community leaders, and provide

real opportunities that enhance the inherent

strengths and leadership abilities of caregivers

and youth. Doing so will benet organizations,

families, and the overall community, as we are

all stronger when we work together toward a

shared goal.

FEDERAL FOCUS: HEAD START/EARLY HEAD START POLICY

COUNCILS

Head Start and Early Head Start are national

models of early care and education with

strong foundations in family engagement and

community partnership. The founders of Head

Start viewed parents as essential partners in

the agency’s work to educate young children

and ensure their health and well-being.

They believed that parents receiving Head

Start services should help decide how those

services could most benet their family and

other families in the community.

As a result, Head Start created a formal

leadership and policymaking role for parents

and community members, referred to in

Head Start/Early Head Start programs as a

“Policy Council.” Today, every Head Start

and Early Head Start agency is required to

have a Policy Council as part of its shared

leadership structure. The Head Start Program

Performance Standards describe what Policy

Councils do and who can be a member.

Policy Council members make decisions about

how the program operates, including areas

such as approving the budget and hiring and

ring staff. Parents who serve on the council

receive training and support to ensure they

are prepared to make those decisions. Serving

on the Policy Council strengthens parents’

leadership and advocacy skills as well as their

connections to their peers and the community.

Head Start offers a number of useful Policy

Council resources for both organizations and

parents.

VALUING COMMUNITY VOICE IN PROGRAM ASSESSMENT,

IMPLEMENTATION, AND EVALUATION

Smart, J. (2017). Critiques of collective impact: Need for policy and systems change. In: Collective impact: Evidence

and implications for practice. CFCA Paper No. 45. Child Family Community Australia.

Successful prevention program implementation

and assessment require a deep understanding

of the communities you hope to serve. That

means not only extending invitations but

listening to and incorporating input from

community leaders. This can best be achieved

by attending to power dynamics and seeking

ways to share power more equitably. Consider

taking the following actions:

 Make meaningful community

engagement a priority. Community

engagement should not be limited

to consultation on specic issues or

campaigns. Seek opportunities to solicit

and use the perceptions, experiences, and

recommendations of community members

to make system-level improvements and to

use their input in making critical decisions

that affect their lives.

 Partner “content experts” (those with

expertise about child abuse prevention

and family support) with “context

experts” (those with lived experience in

the community). Value the knowledge and

experience of both.

 Implement culturally competent EBPs.

Implemented well, EBPs can increase

the likelihood of positive outcomes and

satisfy funders who increasingly require

this approach. However, it is important

for selected practices to be effective for

the targeted community. This requires

the involvement of the community in

identifying, assessing, and implementing

strategies that are both supported by

scientic research and consistent with the

community’s culture and values.

 Recognize promising practices. Where

possible, consider implementing or

partnering with practices and services that

are highly valued within the community

but may lack the resources to establish a

robust level of evidence required to meet

EBP standards.

 Engage community members in

designing and completing program

evaluations. Community voice should

help drive the questions asked and the

criteria for determining whether a program

is successful.

 Seek out grassroots organizers.

Grassroots organizations are often

more exible in their use of funds, and

organizers typically have a different view of

and relationship with the community than

service providers.

 Compensate community experts

and provide meaningful leadership

opportunities. Offering compensation

and opportunities for growth, in addition

to a “seat at the table,” shows you value

the community and builds trust.

 Hire staff that represent the community,

ideally including people with lived

experience, but at minimum those who

reect the community served in race,

ethnicity, and culture.

 Be present in the communities you

serve. The more you live, play, and

show up in the community you serve,

the more the people of that community

will trust you. Shop, recreate, and attend

community and school events to break

down articial barriers.

 Be open to transformative change—

truly doing things differently.

Transformation is more likely when

meaningful community engagement

occurs, because community members

may be less attached to the status quo.

Organizations and systems will benet

most from community engagement when

they are open to new perspectives and

willing to engage in difcult conversations.

44 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Home Instruction for Parents of

Preschool Youngsters USA: Prioritizing

Community Fit

Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool

Youngsters (HIPPY) works closely with host

communities around the world to support

parents in their critical role as their child’s

rst and most important teacher. Local HIPPY

afliate programs are partnerships between

those who know the curriculum and those

who know the community where the program

will be implemented. Both are essential,

which is why one of the key factors in starting

a HIPPY program in a new community is

nding the right organizational partner, where

parents feel welcomed, comfortable, and

respected. Depending on the community,

this might be a school, family resource center,

or community-based agency (e.g., public

housing authority, hospital).

Fresno County, CA, has reduced the disproportionate representation of African-American children and

families in its child welfare system over time by strengthening the agency’s commitment to equity and

caseworkers’ ability to be responsive to families and community.

Beginning in 2003, early efforts included analyzing and sharing data disaggregated by race to identify the

problem, creating a Disproportionality Advisory Committee, and bringing Undoing Racism training to all

Department of Social Services (DSS) staff. The county also implemented the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s

Family to Family initiative and created a cultural broker program through which community members were

trained to advocate for families in the child welfare system.

By early 2009, these efforts had produced some positive results, but DSS leadership wanted to understand

why many of the system decits persisted. They partnered with CSSP to pilot an institutional analysis (IA).

A trained team of local and national partners conducted iterative and structured interviews with parents

and youth, agency leaders, community partners, and other stakeholders; observations; case reviews; and

text analysis to better understand the organizational factors contributing to disparate outcomes for African-

American children.

The report indicated that the system was not treating African-American families as individuals with unique

needs and strengths; rather, it was moving them through an assembly line of workers to services that did

not support families to be stable, heal, and safely care for their children. As a result, DSS leadership took

immediate steps and instituted long-term reform strategies to improve casework and implement institutional

change. Immediate steps included providing Racial Sobriety training to the entire workforce and expanded

the use of cultural brokers or parent partners in joint responses to initial child maltreatment reports.

Along with other long-term strategies, such as implementing a practice model, aligning its system to support

the model, and implementing continuous quality improvement, DSS continued to strengthen community

engagement. Key community advisors and leaders provided advice to DSS leadership on disparity issues and

the development of the new strategic plan and case practice model. The county also included community

partners in assessing caseworkers’ delity to the case practice model. DSS compensated community groups

and members for their time.

In 2000, 24 percent of children and youth in the Fresno County foster care system were African American,

despite the fact that African Americans composed only 6 percent of the county’s population. By 2013, the

disproportionality of the foster care population was greatly reduced (although not eliminated): African-

American children made up 14 percent of the foster care population and 5 percent of the general population.

Organizations interested in bringing HIPPY

to their community rst conduct a needs

assessment to determine the following:

 Why a HIPPY program is needed in the

community

 How the HIPPY program will address

community needs

 What the relationship will be between

the HIPPY program and other community

stakeholders

 How the HIPPY program will t into the

community history and culture

In addition to working closely with community

stakeholders, HIPPY places a high priority on

hiring home visitors from the community.

More than 50 percent of HIPPY home visitors

are former program recipients.

GROWING AUTHENTIC PARTNERSHIPS WITH PARENTS,

CAREGIVERS, AND YOUTH

Today’s human service leaders are

recognizing that opportunities for meaningful

engagement with current and past program

recipients extend far beyond soliciting input,

inviting representation at meetings, or hosting

panel presentations at conferences. Parents,

caregivers, and youth can play meaningful

roles in all areas, including but not limited to

the following:

 Strategic sharing of their lived experience

 Selecting and improving programs

 Developing practice models and standards

 Ensuring greater attention to the diverse

cultural interests of families

 Providing direct services, such as through

parent partner programs

 Participating in governance and hiring

personnel

 Setting organizational policy

 Establishing research agendas

 Helping with publications and messaging

 Translating data into real-life experiences

 Educating policymakers

 Making funding decisions

 Advising and engaging in community

collaboratives

The Children’s Trust Fund Alliance (CTFA)

outlines four stages of building and sustaining

effective parent partnerships—similar

strategies can apply to partnerships with other

caregivers and/or youth:

1. Strong partnerships begin with self-

reection. Before engaging parents,

caregivers, or youth, organizational

leaders are encouraged to reect on

why the partnership is important; what

strengths family members offer; what

the organization can offer in return;

and what benets they hope to achieve

for themselves, their programs, their

organization, and the families they serve.

2. Partnerships support participation

in a variety of forms. When parents,

caregivers, and youth can contribute

to a program in a way that builds on

their unique strengths, it respects their

voice and their culture, encourages their

participation, and supports opportunities

for growth.

3. Partnerships link organizations to

community. Parent, caregiver, and youth

partners can be strong allies in carrying the

mission and messaging of an organization

or program to the broader community. This

can help build credibility and trust with

other families. Many parents and youth

who come to the attention of a program

director are already established leaders in

their own communities. It is easier to build

relationships if these community leaders

feel their culture is respected and see the

direct benets their work with you can

have in their own community.

4. Partnerships invite experienced people

with lived experience to mentor others.

It is important to have more than one or

two partners with lived experience so

that the organization can benet from

diverse perspectives and individuals are

not overextended. With support and

encouragement, experienced parents,

caregivers, and youth can become

involved in State-level project design,

grant reviews, policy development, hiring

activities, and interagency activities.

The best way to ensure a continuum

of partnerships with people with lived

experience is to create a wide variety of

activities and encourage current partners

and leaders to invite others to participate.

CTFA’s website offers useful resources on

partnering with parents. FRIENDS also offers

a guidebook for meaningful parent

leadership and parent-practitioner

collaboration.

Parent and Youth Advisory Councils

Grow Leaders

Parent advisory councils are one way that

many organizations create and sustain

authentic roles for parent partners in shaping

programs, policies, and strategies. They can

help to institutionalize parent partnerships so

that these relationships do not rely on a single

staff person or an individual parent and can

be sustained for the long term.

Youth also have valuable knowledge about

the communities in which they live and the

services designed for them. Youth advisory

boards and councils can engage young

people in examining programs, practices,

and policies that affect their lives and in

advocating for system improvement.

CTFA supports organizations in taking the

following steps toward developing effective

advisory councils:

 Create a planning group that includes

both designated staff and parents (or

youth) right from the beginning.

 Establish the council’s purpose,

membership, and structure. Some

organizations feel an inclusive approach is

best, while others nd benets in limiting

membership (to foster or birth parents, for

example, rather than both together).

“Prevention begins with authentic

relationships in the community and with

parents. The Birth Parent National Network

seeks to push our country forward by

elevating the voices of parents and

organizations that are bold enough to

scream ‘parents aren’t broken!’ We see

parents as treasured leaders—wise and

lled with hope. I encourage all to continue

mining for gold, not digging for dirt. There’s

a nugget inside of all of us. If you can’t nd

it, you’re not looking hard enough.”

—Corey Best, consultant and parent

 Develop roles and responsibilities for

council members and the staff who will

support them.

 Identify staff and budget. A designated

staff position and a set-aside budget are

cited as critical factors for sustainability.

 Develop a recruitment plan and

selection process. Once established,

council members can be responsible for

joining with designated staff to recruit,

interview, and select new members.

 Hold orientation meetings and trainings.

CTFA works closely with organizations and

council members to provide orientation

and trainings on strategic sharing;

successful partnerships; the protective

factors framework; team building;

leadership; and the programs, stafng,

and policies of the organization.

 Evaluate and revise strategies as

needed for long-term success. It is

important for parents, caregivers, and

youth to have a voice in designing and

conducting the evaluation.

“Parent advisory councils are

changing the norm in terms of

systems beginning to incorporate

the voices of parents. They are

the way of the future and one

of the most effective strategies

we’ve seen. After the parents and

staff get to know and trust each

other and parents gain deeper

understanding of the policies and

practices that guide the system,

they can identify many new ways

to work together to create better

outcomes for children, families,

and communities.”

—Teresa Rafael, executive director, CTFA

Arizona’s Ofce of Prevention, within the Department of Child Safety (DCS), used

CBCAP funds to create and fund its Parent Advisory Collaborative (PAC) in 2018.

This group was developed to increase parent leadership, provide feedback to

DCS related to initiatives and improvement activities, and create an atmosphere of

compassion, trust, and respect.

The collaborative is composed of parents from the community, former foster

youth, kinship providers, adoptive parents, and former DCS clients and their

family members. PAC members receive a stipend, a meal during the meeting, and

reimbursement for child care and travel. The entire PAC meets quarterly. Seven

subcommittees (on topics such as housing, incarcerated parents, safe sleep, and

strengthening young parents) meet approximately monthly.

The insights provided by PAC members will increase DCS’s understanding of how

the community responds to various prevention efforts and allow the Ofce of

Prevention to adjust strategies accordingly. The group also reviews and provides

feedback on CBCAP reports and applications.

Arizona

Ofce of

Prevention

STATE CBCAP

EXAMPLE

48 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Questions to Consider

SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 5

The following are questions to consider as your organization enhances its partnerships with

people with lived experience:

For Staff Working Directly With Families:

 Do I live, worship, or spend time in the communities I serve? If not, where are there opportunities to get

involved or connected to activities outside of work?

 In my work with families, how do I seek out and demonstrate respect for the wisdom of their cultural and

community leaders?

 Do I know about opportunities to promote the voice and leadership of parents, caregivers, and youth in

my agency or the community I serve? How could I help create those opportunities if they do not exist?

For Agency Leaders and Community Collaboratives:

 How does our organization demonstrate that we value community voice?

– Does our organization seek out and compensate community members for their expertise?

– How are community members, especially in communities negatively impacted by racial

inequality, meaningfully involved in the creation and implementation of programs and policies

that affect their lives?

– Does the composition of our staff reect the communities we serve?

 How does our organization demonstrate that we value and incorporate parent, caregiver, and

youth voices?

– Does our organization have a parent or youth advisory council? If not, is our leadership open

to starting one?

– Are parents, caregivers, and youth offered a variety of meaningful ways to contribute their

perceptions, experiences, and recommendations at all levels of planning and decision-making

(according to their strengths and skills)? Are they compensated for their time and offered

training for leadership roles?

50 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Protective Factors

Conversation Guides

for Partnering With

Families

CHAPTER SIX

The innermost layer of the social-ecological model represents ways that we can support

individual families in protecting their children and helping them thrive. The conversation

guides in this chapter were created to help you engage parents and caregivers in personalized,

constructive conversations about how the protective factors contribute to positive outcomes for

families. Each guide targets one of the six factors:

 Nurturing and Attachment: “We love each other”

 Knowledge of Parenting: “I can choose what works best for my children”

 Parental Resilience: “I deserve self-care”

 Social Connections: “We are connected”

 Concrete Support for Families: “I can nd help for my family”

 Social/Emotional Competence: “I help my child learn social skills”

They are designed for an interactive experience. Using the Guide for Professionals that

accompanies each conversation guide, professionals can walk families through the process of

selecting and adding content that applies to each family’s unique circumstances and goals. All

guides are provided in both English and Spanish and can be used one on one or in a group setting.

SYSTEM

ORGANIZATION

SOCIETY

FAMILY

COMMUNITY

HOW TO USE THESE GUIDES

1 Prepare for the conversation by reviewing the content, reading the Guide for

Professionals, and identifying some local resources to share with families who need them.

2 Have the conversation in a calm environment. Consider meeting parents and children at a

local park, or take a walk with them on a nice day while you talk.

3 Review key points with the caregiver, using the Guide for Professionals that accompanies

each conversation guide.

4 Build on strengths. Encourage caregivers to talk about what they know and are doing well.

5 Encourage caregivers to consider other strategies that they could use, would like to use,

or have seen others use. Be sure to have the parents record those ideas in their own words,

if they are able, to help them remember later.

Ask them to try one new thing in the coming week.

Focus on the positive, but don’t minimize real concerns. Families’ openness to these

conversations will vary. Sometimes, overwhelming stressors will make it difficult to think

beyond a present crisis. Address those concerns first.

These conversation guides are intended to stimulate thinking—not to represent all possible ways

to discuss each factor. Feel free to adapt this approach and language to suit your community and

caregivers’ needs. Then, tell us about it by taking our survey at https://bit.ly/resourceguidesurvey.

We would love to hear how you’re using this information in your community!

PROTECTIVE FACTORS 101:

RESOURCES FOR PROMOTING FAMILY WELL-BEING

Rain falls on every family, but protective factors can act like an umbrella

to keep families strong even when life is challenging. Although the

2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide takes a “protective factors 201”

approach, our tried and true protective factors 101 resources are still available:

 Topical tip sheets (in English and Spanish)

 Activity calendars (in English and Spanish)

 Interactive vignettes for use in training and community cafés

 Archived resource guides

childwelfare.gov/protectivefactors101/

52 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Strong early bonds with caregivers build healthy brains. Nurturing and attachment with caring adults in early

life is associated with better grades, healthier behaviors, stronger friendships, and an increased ability to cope

with stress later in life.

Nurturing is important at all ages. Parents nurture their children as they grow by making time to listen to them,

being involved and interested in their child’s school and other activities, staying aware of their interests and

friends, and being willing to advocate for their children and youth when necessary.

Trauma and stress can interfere with parents’ ability to nurture their children. Daily or acute stressors, such

as nancial stress, family or community violence, past traumas, or caring for a child with special needs, can make

taking time to focus on nurturing more challenging for some parents. They may need extra reassurance that

showing their children love and affection makes a difference.

It is important to explore and acknowledge differences in how families show affection.

Key Points to Cover With Families

More resources on nurturing and attachment can be found on the Child Welfare Information Gateway website.

Showing love for your

children matters a lot!

 Ask: What gets in the way of nurturing?

 Prompt for acute and/or daily stressors and challenging child behaviors.

Talk about how children’s ability to show affection can also affect

parenting.

 Ask: Did you know that the love you show for your children actually

grows their brains and makes them smarter? Little things every day

add up.

Families show affection in

different ways. A variety of

factors—including how our own

parents showed affection to us

or didn’t—can affect how we

nurture our children.

 Set the tone: I’m interested in learning how love and affection are

expressed in your family.

 Go through the list and ask parents to circle or check the ways they like

to show affection to their children.

 Encourage parents to add other ways that aren’t on the list.

Some days are easier than

others.

 Ask: What gets in the way of nurturing? (Prompt for acute and/or daily

stressors and challenging child behaviors.)

 Ask: What do you do to care for yourself so that these things don’t get

in the way of showing the love you feel for your child?

Children need nurturing

every day.

 Encourage parents to write one thing on the calendar they could do

each day to show their children how much they are loved.

We Love Each Other

GUIDE FOR PROFESSIONALS

Nurturing and

Attachment

2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

□ Listen to their stories

□ Say “I love you”

□ Sing songs to them

□ Snuggle, hug, or connect in other

ways

□ Make a meal or snack together

□ Take walks or play outside together

□ Do arts and crafts

□ Play a game

□ Talk about feelings

□ Laugh about something silly

□ Get to know their friends

□ Ask them about their day

□ Praise them and/or celebrate good

news together

□ Tell them what life was like when I

was a kid

□ Attend school or cultural events

together

□ Thank them for helping out

□ Read together

□

How I show my children love:

How I will show my children love this week:

We Love Each Other

CONVERSATION GUIDE

54 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Los fuertes lazos tempranos con proveedores de cuidado construyen cerebros saludables. La crianza afectiva

y el apego a adultos afectuosos en la vida temprana se asocian con mejores calicaciones, comportamientos más

saludables, amistades más fuertes y una mayor capacidad para enfrentar el estrés en el futuro.

La crianza afectiva es importante en todas las edades. Los padres promueven el desarrollo de sus hijos al

dedicarles tiempo y escucharlos, participar y mostrar interés en la escuela y actividades de sus hijos, estar al tanto

de sus intereses y amigos, y estar dispuestos a abogar por sus hijos y jóvenes cuando sea necesario.

El trauma y el estrés pueden interferir con la capacidad de los padres para cuidar a sus hijos. Para algunos

padres, los factores estresantes diarios o agudos (como estrés nanciero, violencia familiar o comunitaria, traumas

pasados o cuidar a un niño con necesidades especiales) pueden hacer que sea difícil enfocarse en la crianza

afectiva. Pueden necesitar reconrmación de que mostrarles amor y afecto a sus hijos marca una gran diferencia.

Es importante explorar y reconocer las diferencias en cómo las familias muestran afecto.

Puntos clave a tratar con las familias

Puede encontrar más recursos acerca de la crianza afectiva y el apego (en inglés) en el sitio web de Child Welfare

Information Gateway.

Nos amamos unos a otros

GUÍA PARA PROFESIONALES

Crianza afectiva

y apego

¡Mostrar amor por sus hijos

es muy importante!

 Pregunte: ¿Qué impide el cuidado afectuoso?

 Pregunte sobre factores estresantes agudos o diarios y comportamientos

difíciles de los niños. Explique que la capacidad de los niños para

mostrar afecto también puede afectar cómo los padres crían a sus hijos.

 Pregunte: ¿Sabía que el amor que muestra por sus hijos en realidad

hace crecer sus cerebros y los hace más inteligentes? Las pequeñas

cosas se acumulan todos los días.

Las familias muestran afecto

de diferentes formas. Varios

factores, incluyendo cómo

nuestros propios padres nos

demostraron o no el afecto,

pueden afectar cómo criamos a

nuestros hijos.

 Establezca el tono: Me interesa saber cómo se expresan el amor y el

afecto en su familia.

 Repase la lista y pídales a los padres que marquen las formas en las

que les gusta mostrar afecto a sus hijos.

 Anime a los padres a agregar otras formas que no están en la lista.

Algunos días son más fáciles

que otros.

 Pregunte: ¿Qué impide el cuidado afectuoso? (Pregunte sobre factores

estresantes agudos o diarios y comportamientos difíciles de los niños).

 Pregunte: ¿Qué hace para cuidar de sí mismo para que estas cosas no

le impidan mostrar el amor que siente por su hijo?

Los niños necesitan cariño y

afecto todos los días.

 Anime a los padres a escribir en el calendario una cosa que podrían

hacer cada día para mostrarles a sus hijos cuánto los aman.

2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

□ Escuchar sus cuentos

□ Decir “Te quiero”

□ Cantarles canciones

□ Acurrucarlos, abrazarlos o conectar

con ellos de otra manera

□ Hacer una merienda o comida

juntos

□ Caminar o jugar al aire libre juntos

□ Hacer manualidades

□ Jugar un juego

□ Hablar sobre los sentimientos

□ Reírnos juntos

□ Conocer a sus amigos

□ Preguntarles sobre su día

□ Elogiarlos y / o celebrar buenas

noticias juntos

□ Contarles cómo era la vida cuando

yo era niño

□ Asistir juntos a eventos escolares o

culturales

□ Darles las gracias cuando ayudan

□ Leer juntos

□

Domingo Lunes Martes Miércoles Jueves Viernes Sábado

Cómo les muestro amor a mis hijos:

Cómo les mostraré a mis hijos el amor esta semana:

Nos amamos unos a otros

GUÍA DE CONVERSACIÓN

56 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Knowledge of parenting and child development is an important protective factor. Parents who understand

the usual course of child development are more likely to provide their children with developmentally appropriate

limits, consistent rules and expectations, and opportunities that promote independence.

No parent can be an expert on all aspects of child development or on the most effective ways to support a

child at every age. As children grow, parents will need to continue to learn and respond to children’s emerging

needs.

Parenting styles need to be adjusted for each child’s unique temperament and circumstances. Parents of

children with special needs may benet from additional coaching and support.

Key Points to Cover With Families

More resources on knowledge of parenting and child development can be found on the Child Welfare

Information Gateway website.

Children have reasons for

behaving the way they do.

 Work with the parent to identify a challenging behavior they have seen

recently.

 Ask: What do you think your child is feeling or needing from you?

Parenting is a tough job!

Every parent has strategies

that work and areas where they

struggle.

 Ask: What is going well with your child? What is not working as well?

 This is an opportunity to explore the parent’s perspective.

 If a strategy is harmful (e.g., spanking), suggest positive alternatives.

How we were parented

affects our parenting.

 It is natural to parent our children the way our parents did or to try to

avoid repeating our parents’ mistakes.

 Ask: How do you think the way you were parented inuences your

parenting decisions?

No parent can know

everything. All parents need

advice at times.

 Ask: Where do you go when you have questions about parenting?

(e.g., family, media, teachers, friends, books)

 Offer resources where they could get expert advice, such as parenting

classes or online sources (e.g., CDC, Parents Anonymous).

It takes time to change

habits, but it is never too late

to try something new.

 Encourage parents to commit to one small change.

 Ask: What do you think will work best for your child and family?

I Can Choose What Works Best for

My Children

GUIDE FOR PROFESSIONALS

Knowledge of

Parenting

2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Child’s Name:

What’s

Happening

 Why do I think my child behaves this way?

 What do I notice before this behavior occurs?

 What makes it better or worse?

Current

Strategy

 How do I handle this now?

 How is this working for us?

My History

 How did my parents handle this behavior when I

was a child?

 How did I respond?

 What do I like and dislike about their approach?

Trusted

Experts

 Who do I trust for parenting advice?

 How do they suggest I handle this behavior?

 What do I like and dislike about this approach?

Things to

Try

 What is the one thing I could try before, during,

or after the behavior occurs?

 Where could I receive additional support, if I

need it?

Challenging Behavior:

I Can Choose What Works Best for My Children

CONVERSATION GUIDE

Being a great parent is part natural and part learned. All parents face challenges and need

advice along the way.

58 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Tener conocimientos sobre la crianza y el desarrollo de los niños es un factor de protección importante. Los

padres que entienden el curso usual del desarrollo de los niños son más propensos a proporcionar a sus hijos límites

apropiados para su desarrollo, reglas y expectativas consistentes y oportunidades que promuevan la independencia.

Ningún padre puede ser un experto en todos los aspectos del desarrollo de los niños o en las maneras más

ecaces de apoyar a un niño en cada edad. A medida que los niños crecen, los padres necesitarán continuar

aprendiendo y respondiendo a las necesidades cambiantes de los niños.

Los estilos de crianza necesitan ser ajustados según el temperamento y las circunstancias únicas de cada

niño. Padres de niños con necesidades especiales pueden beneciarse de ayuda y apoyo adicionales.

Puntos clave a tratar con las familias

Puede encontrar más recursos acerca de conocimientos sobre la crianza y el desarrollo de los niños (en inglés) en

el sitio web de Child Welfare Information Gateway.

Los niños tienen razones para

comportarse de la manera

que lo hacen.

 Trabaje con el padre para identicar un comportamiento difícil que ha

visto recientemente.

 Pregunte: ¿Qué cree que su hijo está sintiendo o necesitando de usted?

¡La crianza de hijos es un

trabajo difícil! Todos los

padres tienen estrategias que

funcionan, como también áreas

que les causan dicultades.

 Pregunte: ¿Qué está funcionando con su hijo? ¿Qué no está

funcionando tan bien?

 Esta es una oportunidad para explorar la perspectiva de los padres.

 Si una estrategia es dañina (por ejemplo, dar palmadas o nalgadas),

sugiera alternativas positivas (enlace en inglés).

La forma en que fuimos

criados afecta nuestra forma

de criar.

 Es natural que criemos a nuestros hijos de la manera en que nuestros

padres nos criaron, o de tratar de evitar repetir los errores de nuestros

padres.

 Pregunte: ¿Cómo cree que la forma en que fue criado inuye en sus

decisiones de crianza?

Ningún padre puede saberlo

todo. Todos los padres

necesitan consejos de vez en

cuando.

 Pregunte: ¿A dónde acude cuando tiene preguntas sobre la crianza? (por

ejemplo, familiares, medios de comunicación, maestros, amigos, libros)

 Ofrezca recursos donde puedan recibir asesoramiento experto, como

clases de crianza o fuentes en línea (por ejemplo, los CDC o Parents

Anonymous [enlace en inglés]).

Se necesita tiempo para

cambiar los hábitos, pero

nunca es demasiado tarde

para probar algo nuevo.

 Anime a los padres a comprometerse a hacer un cambio pequeño.

 Pregunte: ¿Qué cree que funcionará mejor para su hijo y familia?

Puedo elegir lo que funciona mejor

para mis hijos

GUÍA PARA PROFESIONALES

Conocimientos

sobre la crianza

2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Nombre del niño:

Qué está

sucediendo

 ¿Por qué creo que mi hijo se comporta así?

 ¿Qué noto antes de que ocurra este comportamiento?

 ¿Qué hace que empeore o mejore el comportamiento?

Estrategia

actual

 ¿Cómo manejo esto actualmente?

 ¿Cómo nos está funcionando esta estrategia?

Mi historia

 ¿Cómo manejaban mis padres este comportamiento

cuando yo era un niño?

 ¿Cómo respondía yo?

 ¿Qué me gusta y qué no me gusta de su estrategia?

Expertos de

confianza

 ¿En quién confío para pedir consejos de crianza?

 ¿Cómo sugieren ellos que maneje este

comportamiento?

 ¿Qué me gusta y qué no me gusta de esta estrategia?

Cosas para

probar

 ¿Qué es una cosa que podría probar antes, durante o

después de que ocurra el comportamiento?

 ¿Dónde podría encontrar apoyo adicional, si lo

necesito?

Comportamiento difícil:

Puedo elegir lo que funciona mejor para mis hijos

GUÍA DE CONVERSACIÓN

Ser un gran padre es en parte natural y en parte aprendido. Todos los padres enfrentan

desafíos y necesitan consejos de vez en cuando.

60 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Resilience is the exibility and inner strength to bounce back when things are not going well. Parents with

resilience are better able to protect their children from stress and can help children learn critical self-regulation

and problem-solving skills.

All parents have strengths and resources that can serve as a foundation for building their resilience. These may

include faith, exibility, humor, communication, problem-solving, caring relationships, or the ability to identify and

access needed services.

Self-care is important, but it is only part of the picture. Families experiencing multiple life stressors—such

as a history of trauma, health concerns, marital conict, substance use, or community violence—and nancial

stressors—such as unemployment, nancial insecurity, or homelessness—face more challenges coping effectively

with typical day-to-day stresses of raising children.

Addressing stressors in the family, community, and society will ultimately create stronger, more resilient

families.

Key Points to Cover With Families

More resources on building parental resilience can be found on the Child Welfare Information Gateway website.

The National Parent Helpline may also be a valuable resource for families.

Parenting is stressful, and

some situations are more

difcult than others. Too

much stress can make it harder

to parent effectively.

 Ask: What do you notice when you are under a lot of stress? How is

your parenting affected when you are stressed?

 Share some common effects of stress—such as changes in eating or

sleeping habits or feelings of depression or hopelessness—if they are

having trouble coming up with ideas.

Stress affects children, too.

 Talk with caregivers about how children can pick up on family stress and

show many of the same signs.

 Ask: How can you tell when your child is feeling stressed?

Everyone has strengths that

they draw on during difcult

times.

 Ask: What kinds of things do you do to take care of yourself and

manage stress?

 Encourage them to circle items on the guide or write their own answers

in the category where they t.

 Then, prompt caregivers to think of and record other self-care strategies

that they could use, would like to use, or have seen others use.

 Ask: What is one new self-care activity you can commit to this week?

I Deserve Self-Care

GUIDE FOR PROFESSIONALS

Parental Resilience

2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

One thing I will do this week

to care for myself is …

□ Have a cup of coffee or tea

□ Take a nap

□ Walk, stretch, or exercise

□

Play a game with my children

□ Spend time with family or friends

□ Connect to my local parent-

teacher association or other

support group

□

Body Community

□ Watch something that makes me

laugh

□ Write down my thoughts

□ Do something creative (draw, work

on a puzzle, sing, etc.)

□

Spend time outdoors

□ Meditate or pray

□ Connect with my faith community

(church, mosque, temple, etc.)

□

Mind Spirit

I Deserve Self-Care

CONVERSATION GUIDE

When I am feeling stressed, I can:

62 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

La resiliencia es la exibilidad y la fuerza interna para recuperarse cuando las cosas no van bien. Los

padres con resiliencia tienen más capacidad para proteger a sus hijos del estrés y pueden ayudarlos a aprender

habilidades esenciales de autorregulación y resolución de problemas.

Todos los padres tienen fortalezas y recursos que pueden servir como base para desarrollar su resiliencia. Estos

pueden incluir su fe, exibilidad, humor, comunicación, capacidad para resolver problemas, relaciones afectuosas o

su capacidad para identicar y acceder a los servicios necesarios.

El autocuidado (cuidar de sí mismo) es importante, pero es solo una parte del panorama. Las familias con

múltiples factores de vida estresantes (como un historial de trauma, problemas de salud, conictos matrimoniales, uso

de sustancias o violencia comunitaria) y factores estresantes nancieros (como el desempleo, la inseguridad nanciera

o la falta de hogar) enfrentan más dicultades para lidiar de manera efectiva con el estrés típico de criar hijos.

Abordar los factores estresantes en la familia, comunidad y sociedad creará familias más fuertes y resilientes.

Puntos clave a tratar con las familias

Puede encontrar más recursos acerca de la resiliencia parental (en inglés) en el sitio web de Child Welfare

Information Gateway. El National Parent Helpline (en inglés), incluyendo sus recursos en español, también puede

ser un buen recurso para familias.

Me merezco el autocuidado

GUÍA PARA PROFESIONALES

Resiliencia parental

La crianza de los hijos

es estresante, y algunas

situaciones son más difíciles

que otras. Demasiado estrés

puede dicultar la crianza

efectiva.

 Pregunte: ¿Qué nota cuando está muy estresado? ¿Cómo se ve

afectada la manera en que cría a sus hijos cuando está estresado?

 Mencione algunos ejemplos de efectos comunes del estrés (como

cambios en los hábitos alimenticios o de sueño, o sentimientos de

depresión o desesperanza) si les cuesta pensar en ideas.

El estrés también afecta a los

niños.

 Hable con los proveedores de cuidado sobre el hecho de que los

niños pueden detectar el estrés de su familia y mostrar muchos de los

mismos signos.

 Pregunte: ¿Cómo sabe cuándo su hijo se siente estresado?

Todas las personas tienen

fortalezas a las que recurren

en tiempos difíciles.

 Pregunte: ¿Qué tipo de cosas hace para cuidarse a sí mismo y manejar

el estrés?

 Anime a los proveedores de cuidado a que encierren en un círculo los

elementos en la guía o que escriban sus respuestas en la categoría

correspondiente.

 Luego, pídales que piensen en y anoten otras estrategias de

autocuidado que podrían usar, les gustaría usar, o han visto a otros usar.

 Pregunte: ¿Cuál es una nueva actividad de autocuidado que puede

comprometerse a hacer esta semana?

2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Una cosa que haré esta

semana para cuidarme es …

□ Tomar una taza de café o té

□ Tomar una siesta

□ Caminar, hacer estiramientos o

ejercicio

□

Jugar un juego con mis hijos

□ Pasar tiempo con mi familia o

amigos

□ Conectarme a mi asociación local

de padres y maestros u otro grupo

de apoyo

□

Cuerpo Comunidad

□ Mirar algo que me hace reír

□ Anotar mis pensamientos

□ Hacer algo creativo (dibujar, hacer

un rompecabezas, cantar, etc.)

□

Pasar tiempo al aire libre

□ Meditar o rezar

□ Conectarme con mi comunidad de

fe (iglesia, mezquita, templo, etc.)

□

Mente Espíritu

Me merezco el autocuidado

GUÍA DE CONVERSACIÓN

Cuando me siento estresado, puedo:

64 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

All parents need emotional support. Social connections (supportive friends, family, neighbors, and community

groups) help parents care for their children and themselves.

Social connections support children in multiple ways. A parent’s positive relationships give children access to

other caring adults, model important relational skills, and increase the likelihood that children will benet from

involvement in positive activities.

Building positive relationships may require extra effort for some families—including those who are new

to a community, recently divorced, or rst-time parents. Additionally, some parents may need to develop self-

condence and social skills before they can expand their social networks.

Key Points to Cover With Families

More resources on building social connections can be found on the Child Welfare Information Gateway website.

We Are Connected

GUIDE FOR PROFESSIONALS

Social Connections

All parents need

support sometimes.

 Explain that this conversation guide is a tool to help the parent “map” their

sources of social support.

 Emphasize that there is no wrong way to complete this worksheet.

 Have the caregiver put their name or family name in the center circle.

Support can come

from family, friends,

neighbors, or other

helpful people.

 Ask: Who are the people in your circle of support?

 If needed, prompt for names of friends, family, neighbors, and helping

professionals.

 Add their names in circles or other shapes around the center circle of the ecomap.

Social support

can be found

by belonging to

groups.

 Ask: What groups or organizations are part of your family’s life? (e.g., faith

communities, schools, workplaces, community centers)

 Add them in the circles where they belong.

Not all connections

are equally

supportive.

 Ask: How well do each of these connections support you as a parent?

 Invite the caregiver to show differences with different colors, solid vs. dotted

lines, or arrows indicating which direction(s) support ows.

 Ask: Looking at this map, what do you notice about the connections in your life?

 It may be important to take some time to help caregivers process their feelings

about the current amount of social support in their life.

Making new

connections can be

challenging, but it is

possible.

 Ask: Would you like to have more support? How do you go about making new

connections? What are the challenges?

 Ask: What is one thing you can commit to doing this week to strengthen your

social connections?

2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

One thing I will do this week to strengthen my connection to others is:

‘s

Support System

We Are Connected

CONVERSATION GUIDE

All families need support. Connecting with others helps to build a strong support system.

66 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Todos los padres necesitan apoyo emocional. Las conexiones sociales (amigos de apoyo, familiares, vecinos y

grupos comunitarios) ayudan a los padres a cuidar de sus hijos y de sí mismos.

Las conexiones sociales apoyan a los niños de varias maneras. Las relaciones positivas de los padres con otras

personas dan a los niños acceso a otros adultos que se preocupan por ellos, modelan habilidades relacionales

importantes y aumentan la probabilidad de que los niños se benecien de la participación en actividades positivas.

La creación de relaciones positivas puede requerir un esfuerzo adicional para algunas familias, incluidas

familias que son nuevas en una comunidad, familias recientemente divorciadas o padres primerizos. Algunos

padres pueden necesitar desarrollar su conanza en sí mismos y sus habilidades sociales antes de poder expandir

sus redes sociales.

Puntos clave a tratar con las familias

Puede encontrar más recursos acerca de la creación de conexiones sociales (en inglés) en el sitio web Child Welfare

Information Gateway.

Estamos conectados

GUÍA PARA PROFESIONALES

Todos los padres

necesitan apoyo

de vez en cuando.

 Explique que esta guía de conversación es una herramienta para ayudar a los

padres a identicar sus fuentes de apoyo social.

 Enfatice que no hay una manera incorrecta de completar esta hoja de trabajo.

 Pídale al proveedor de cuidado que ponga su nombre o apellido en el círculo central.

El apoyo puede

provenir de

familiares, amigos,

vecinos u otras

personas.

 Pregunte: ¿Quiénes son las personas en su círculo de apoyo?

 Si es necesario, solicite nombres de amigos, familiares, vecinos y profesionales.

 Anote los nombres dentro de círculos u otras formas alrededor del círculo central

del diagrama o “ecomap” (enlace en inglés).

El apoyo social se

puede encontrar

uniéndose a

grupos.

 Pregunte: ¿Qué grupos u organizaciones forman parte de la vida de su familia? (por

ejemplo, comunidades de fe, escuelas, lugares de trabajo, centros comunitarios)

 Añádalos en círculos donde pertenecen.

No todas las

conexiones

ofrecen el mismo

nivel de apoyo.

 Pregunte: ¿Qué tan bien le apoyan cada una de estas conexiones como padre?

 Invite al proveedor de cuidado a mostrar diferencias usando colores, líneas sólidas

o punteadas o echas indicando en qué dirección(es) uye el apoyo que recibe.

 Pregunte: Mirando este diagrama, ¿qué nota sobre las conexiones en su vida?

 Puede ser importante tomar tiempo para ayudar al proveedor de cuidado a

procesar sus sentimientos acerca de la cantidad actual de apoyo social en su vida.

Hacer nuevas

conexiones puede

ser difícil, pero sí

es posible.

 Pregunte: ¿Le gustaría tener más apoyo? ¿Qué hace usted para formar nuevas

conexiones? ¿Cuáles son los desafíos?

 Pregunte: ¿Qué es una cosa que puede comprometerse a hacer esta semana para

fortalecer sus conexiones sociales?

Conexiones

sociales

2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Una cosa que haré esta semana para fortalecer mi conexión a otras personas es:

Sistema de

apoyo de

Estamos conectados

GUÍA DE CONVERSACIÓN

Todas las familias necesitan apoyo. La conexión con otras personas ayuda a crear un sistema

de apoyo fuerte.

68 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Caregivers whose concrete needs are met have more time and energy to devote to their children’s safety

and well-being. When families do not have steady nancial resources, lack a stable living situation, or cannot

afford food or health care, their ability to support their children’s healthy development may be at risk. Partnering

with parents to identify and access resources in the community helps them protect and care for their children.

Caregivers may need more than just a phone number. Consider providing support during initial calls, introducing

them directly to a personal contact, or otherwise offering a warm hand-off to a fellow service provider. Be sure to

refer families to providers who speak their language, are culturally competent, and are committed to equity.

Key Points to Cover With Families

More resources on concrete supports can be found on the Child Welfare Information Gateway Information

Gateway website.

Consider: What resources are available in your area to help caregivers meet their families’ basic needs for

food, safe housing, transportation, child care, health care, and employment?

One simple way to learn more about local organizations that support families is by calling 2-1-1. (Visit the 211

website to ensure availability of this service in your area.)

All families need help

sometimes.

 Ask: Can you think of a time when you asked for help in the past? (For

example, when they connected with your organization.)

 Point out how brave they were to accept help and ask what made that

experience successful for them.

Unmet basic needs like

nutritious food and safe,

stable housing can be harmful

to children’s development

and ability to learn.

 Review the basic needs in the rst column of the conversation guide.

Talk with the family about other needs not mentioned in that list. Add

those to the empty row(s) in their own words.

 In column 2, ask parents to circle the response that best ts their family

for each need.

There are many places to go

for help in our community.

They include government

agencies, as well as nonprot

organizations and faith

communities.

 In column 3, give caregivers as many options as possible so they can

choose what is right for their own families.

 Ask: What is one small step you can take this week?

I Can Find Help for My Family

GUIDE FOR PROFESSIONALS

Concrete Support

for Families

2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Help is available in our community.

These things are important

for my family...

This is true for my family… A place I can go for help if I need

it is…

My family has enough to eat.

□ Always □ Sometimes □ Never

My family has a safe place to live.

□ Always □ Sometimes □ Never

My family can get to work and

school on time.

□ Always □ Sometimes □ Never

My children have a safe place to

go when I can’t be with them.

□ Always □ Sometimes □ Never

My family has the medical care we

need.

□ Always □ Sometimes □ Never

I have regular work that pays

enough to meet my family’s needs.

□ Always □ Sometimes □ Never

Help may be just a phone call away!

2-1-1 is a service that connects people all over the country with helpful services where they live.

I Can Find Help for My Family

CONVERSATION GUIDE

70 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Los proveedores de cuidado cuyas necesidades concretas están satisfechas tienen más tiempo y energía

para dedicar a la seguridad y el bienestar de sus hijos. Cuando las familias no tienen recursos nancieros

constantes, carecen de una situación de vivienda estable o no tienen los medios para comprar alimentos o pagar

por atención médica, su capacidad para apoyar el desarrollo saludable de sus hijos puede estar en riesgo. Trabajar

junto a los padres para identicar y acceder a recursos en la comunidad les ayuda a proteger y cuidar a sus hijos.

Los proveedores de cuidado pueden necesitar más que solo un número de teléfono. Considere brindar

asistencia durante las llamadas iniciales o presentarles directamente a un colega proveedor de servicios.

Asegúrese de referir a las familias a proveedores que hablen su idioma, sean culturalmente competentes y estén

comprometidos con la equidad.

Puntos clave a tratar con las familias

Puede encontrar más recursos acerca de apoyos concretos (en inglés) en el sitio web de Child Welfare Information

Gateway.

Considere: ¿Qué recursos están disponibles en su área para ayudar a los proveedores de cuidado a

satisfacer las necesidades básicas de sus familias (alimento, vivienda, transporte, cuidado para los niños,

cuidados médicos, empleo)?

Puede aprender más sobre las organizaciones locales que apoyan a las familias llamando al 2-1-1. (Visite el sitio

web de 211 [en inglés] para asegurarse de la disponibilidad de este servicio en su área).

Puedo encontrar ayuda para mi familia

GUÍA PARA PROFESIONALES

Apoyo concreto

para las familias

Todas las familias necesitan

ayuda de vez en cuando.

 Pregunte: ¿Puede pensar en una ocasión en la que pidió ayuda en el

pasado? (por ejemplo, cuando se conectaron con su organización)

 Señale cuán valientes fueron para aceptar ayuda y pregúnteles qué hizo

que esa experiencia fuera exitosa para ellos.

Las necesidades básicas no

satisfechas, como alimentos

nutritivos y viviendas

seguras y estables, pueden

ser perjudiciales para el

desarrollo y la capacidad de

aprendizaje de los niños.

 Revise las necesidades básicas en la columna 1 de la guía de

conversación. Hable con la familia sobre otras necesidades no

mencionadas en esa lista. Anote esas necesidades en las las vacías.

 En la columna 2, pídales a los padres que encierren con un círculo la

respuesta que mejor reeja a su familia para cada necesidad.

Hay muchos lugares para

buscar ayuda en nuestra

comunidad. Estos incluyen

agencias gubernamentales,

organizaciones sin nes de

lucro y comunidades religiosas.

 En la columna 3, ofrézcales a los proveedores de cuidado tantas

opciones como sea posible para que puedan elegir lo que es mejor

para sus propias familias.

 Pregunte: ¿Cuál es un pequeño paso que puede tomar esta semana?

2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

La ayuda está disponible en nuestra comunidad.

Estas cosas son importantes

para mi familia…

Esto es cierto para mi familia… Un lugar donde puedo buscar

ayuda si la necesito es…

Mi familia tiene suciente para comer.

□ Siempre □ Algunas veces □ Nunca

Mi familia tiene un lugar seguro para

vivir.

□ Siempre □ Algunas veces □ Nunca

Mi familia puede llegar al trabajo y a

la escuela a tiempo.

□ Siempre □ Algunas veces □ Nunca

Mis hijos tienen un lugar seguro para

ir cuando no puedo estar con ellos.

□ Siempre □ Algunas veces □ Nunca

Mi familia tiene la atención médica

que necesitamos.

□ Siempre □ Algunas veces □ Nunca

Tengo un trabajo regular que paga

lo suciente para satisfacer las

necesidades de mi familia.

□ Siempre □ Algunas veces □ Nunca

¡La ayuda puede estar a solo una llamada de distancia!

2-1-1 (en inglés) es un servicio que conecta a personas de todo el país con los servicios donde viven.

Puedo encontrar ayuda para mi familia

GUÍA DE CONVERSACIÓN

72 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Children who exhibit social and emotional competence are likely to have better relationships and greater

resilience to stress as adults. Social and emotional competence refers to children’s ability to form bonds and

interact positively with others, self-regulate their emotions and behavior, communicate their feelings, and solve

problems effectively.

Helping children to develop these skills can result in stronger parent-child relationships that are mutually

rewarding. Parents grow more responsive to children’s needs—and less likely to feel stressed or frustrated—as

children learn to say what they need, rather than “acting out” difcult feelings.

Children’s delays in social-emotional development can create extra stress for families. It is important to

identify any such concerns as early as possible and to provide services to children and their parents that facilitate

healthy development.

Key Points to Cover With Families

More resources on building social and emotional competence of children can be found on the Child Welfare

Information Gateway website.

I Help My Child Learn Social Skills

GUIDE FOR PROFESSIONALS

Social/Emotional

Competence

Social skills are important for

children to become successful

adults. Social skills are dened and

prioritized a little differently for each

unique family and community.

 Give some examples of social skills, such as taking turns, sharing,

or using manners.

 Ask: Which social skills are most important in your family/

community/culture? Why?

Children and youth develop

social skills gradually. Share some

information about social skills that

they might expect to see at their

children’s current ages.

 Help the parent connect important social skills with typical child

development. (For example, I hear you saying that sharing is

really important to you. Most children develop the ability to share

their toys around age 5.)

 Ask: Which of these skills do you see your child doing well?

Which would you like to help them improve?

Our children learn by watching us.  Ask: What are some situations where your child might see you

using [chosen skill]?

 For example, how does the caregiver use this skill with their

coparent, family members, or friends?

Parents can help their children

learn social skills. One great way to

teach children is by “catching them”

doing something well.

 Ask: When have you seen your child do [action/behavior] well

recently? How do you let your child know you like what they’re

doing?

 Ask: How else could you encourage this skill?

2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

One thing I will do this week to encourage social skills:

□ Praising them when they do this well

□ Reading books about emotions and/or social situations

□ Pointing out when characters on TV use the skill

□ Naming feelings (my own and/or my child’s)

□ Setting up play dates for practice

□ Celebrating my child’s unique self

□ Teaching my child about his or her cultural identity

□ Talking about and celebrating differences

□ Having a “no technology” day

□

I Help My Child Learn Social Skills

CONVERSATION GUIDE

Children with strong social skills get along better with others. You are your child’s first and

most important teacher.

One social skill I would like

to help my child improve:

I show my child these skills

when I:

I encourage this skill by:

74 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Los niños que muestran capacidades sociales y emocionales son propensos a tener mejores relaciones y

una mayor resiliencia al estrés como adultos. “Capacidad social y emocional” se reere a la capacidad de

los niños para formar vínculos e interactuar positivamente con otras personas, regular sus propias emociones y

comportamientos, comunicar sus sentimientos y resolver problemas ecazmente.

Ayudar a los niños a desarrollar estas habilidades puede resultar en relaciones más fuertes y

enriquecedoras entre padres e hijos. Los padres pueden responder mejor a las necesidades de los niños (y

sentirse menos estresados y frustrados) a medida que los niños aprenden a expresar sus necesidades, en vez de

“portarse mal” para expresar sentimientos difíciles.

Los retrasos en el desarrollo social y emocional de los niños pueden crear estrés adicional para las familias.

Es importante identicar tales preocupaciones lo antes posible y proporcionar servicios a los niños y sus padres

que faciliten un desarrollo saludable.

Puntos clave a tratar con las familias

Puede encontrar más recursos acerca de la creación de capacidades sociales y emocionales en los niños (en

inglés) en el sitio web de Child Welfare Information Gateway.

Ayudo a mi hijo a aprender

habilidades sociales

Capacidades sociales

y emocionales

GUÍA PARA PROFESIONALES

Las habilidades sociales son

importantes para que los niños se

conviertan en adultos exitosos.

Estas habilidades se denen y

priorizan de manera diferente para

cada familia y comunidad.

 Dé algunos ejemplos de habilidades sociales, como esperar su

turno, compartir con los demás o usar buenos modales.

 Pregunte: ¿Cuáles habilidades sociales son más importantes en

su familia, comunidad y cultura? ¿Por qué?

Los niños y jóvenes desarrollan

habilidades sociales gradualmente.

Comparta información sobre las

habilidades sociales que podrían

esperar ver según las edades

actuales de sus hijos.

 Ayude a los padres a conectar habilidades sociales con el

desarrollo típico de un niño. (Por ejemplo, Le escuché decir que

para usted es importante que su hijo sepa compartir. La mayoría

de los niños desarrollan la capacidad de compartir sus juguetes

alrededor de los 5 años).

 Pregunte: ¿Cuáles de estas habilidades cree que su hijo hace

bien? ¿Cuáles le gustaría ayudarle a su hijo a mejorar?

Nuestros hijos aprenden

mirándonos.

 Pregunte: ¿Cuáles son algunas situaciones en las que su hijo

podría verlo a usted modelando [habilidad elegida]?

 Por ejemplo, ¿cómo usa el proveedor de cuidado esta habilidad

con su pareja, familiares o amigos?

Los padres pueden ayudar a

sus hijos a aprender habilidades

sociales. Una excelente manera de

enseñar a los niños es “pillándolos”

haciendo algo bien.

 Pregunte: ¿Cuándo ha visto a su hijo hacer [acción o

comportamiento] bien recientemente? ¿Cómo le hace saber a su

hijo que le gusta lo que está haciendo?

 Pregunte: ¿De qué otra manera podría fomentar esta habilidad?

2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Una cosa que haré esta semana para fomentar las habilidades sociales:

□ Felicitando a mi hijo cuando la hacen bien.

□ Leyendo libros sobre emociones y / o situaciones sociales

□ Señalando cuando los personajes de la televisión usan la

habilidad

□ Nombrando los sentimientos (los míos y / o los de mi hijo)

□ Programando citas para jugar con otros niños para practicar

□ Celebrando a mi hijo como persona única

□ Enseñando a mi hijo sobre su identidad cultural

□ Hablando sobre y celebrando las diferencias

□ Teniendo un día “sin tecnología”

□

Una habilidad social que me gustaría

ayudar a mi hijo a mejorar:

Le muestro a mi hijo estas

habilidades cuando:

Fomento esta habilidad:

Ayudo a mi hijo a aprender habilidades sociales

GUÍA DE CONVERSACIÓN

Los niños con fuertes habilidades sociales se llevan mejor con los demás. Usted es el primer

y más importante maestro de su hijo.

76 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide

Like the work of building strong families and communities, this Resource Guide is a collective

effort. The resources featured here represent the efforts of many National Prevention Partners,

Federal agencies, community-based organizations, and parents committed to strengthening

families and communities. We list many of those committed people and organizations by name

on the pages that follow. We also recognize the countless unnamed others who are doing this

work tirelessly on the ground in their own families and communities.

We can do more, together.

NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION PARTNERS

The National Child Abuse Prevention Partners are national organizations that work to promote

well-being in children, families, and communities. More information about each organization,

including contact information, is available on the Information Gateway website.

FEDERAL INTER-AGENCY WORK GROUP ON CHILD ABUSE

AND NEGLECT

The Ofce on Child Abuse and Neglect within the Children’s Bureau leads and coordinates the

Federal Inter-Agency Work Group on Child Abuse and Neglect (FEDIAWG). Information about

the Work Group and its members, including contact information, can be found on the Children’s

Bureau website.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The Resource Guide’s content has benetted greatly from the collective wisdom of many of

the eld’s top practitioners, thinkers, and subject-matter experts in primary prevention and

community collaboration. OCAN specically recognizes the contributions of the following

people who were interviewed for this guide:

 Kiersten Beigel, M.S.W., U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for

Children and Families, Ofce of Head Start

 Kristin Bernhard, J.D., Ounce of Prevention Fund

 Melissa Brodowski, Ph.D., U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for

Children and Families, Ofce of Early Childhood Development

 Carol Colmenero, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Family Advocacy Center

Partners and Resources

CHAPTER SEVEN

 Valerie C. Cuffee, L.C.S.W., M.S.W., C.P.M., Loudoun County (VA) Department of Family

Services

 Dyann Daley, M.D., Predict Align Prevent, Inc.

 Deborah Daro, Ph.D., Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago

 Tiffany Day, Ascend at the Aspen Institute

 Karin Downs, R.N., M.P.H., Massachusetts Department of Public Health

 Anita Fineday, Casey Family Programs

 Monte Fox, Casey Family Programs

 Suzanne Garcia, Tribal Law and Policy Institute and Child Welfare Capacity Building Center for

Tribes

 Shawn Ginwright, Ph.D., San Francisco State University

 Jane Halladay Goldman, Ph.D., National Center for Child Traumatic Stress

 Angela S. Guinn, M.P.H., U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease

Control & Prevention, Division of Violence Prevention

 Stacey D. Hardy-Chandler, Ph.D., J.D., L.C.S.W., Alexandria (VA) Department of Community

and Human Services, Center for Children and Families

 Stephen Hudson, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Social Services

 Jennifer Jones, Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, Change in Mind Institute

 Joanne Klevens, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Violence Prevention

 Bart Klika, M.S.W., Ph.D., Prevent Child Abuse America

 Patrice Leary-Forrey, Maine Kids Free to Grow

 Meryl Levine, Children’s Trust Fund Alliance

 Jason Mahoney, Wake County (NC) Family Services

 Melissa Merrick, Ph.D., Prevent Child Abuse America

 Deborah Mutschler, Mutschler Consulting

 Patrick Patterson, National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse

 Teresa Rafael, Children’s Trust Fund Alliance

 Juan Ramirez, Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic

 Michelle Ries, North Carolina Institute of Medicine

 Robert Sege, M.D., Ph.D., Tufts University School of Medicine

 Deborah Sendek, U.S. Alliance to End the Hitting of Children

 Heather Stenson, National Parent Advisory Council - Montana

 Catherine Taylor, Ph.D., M.S.W., M.P.H., Boston College School of Social Work

 Amy Templeman, Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, Within Our Reach

 Kristen Weber, Center for the Study of Social Policy

 Miriam Westheimer, Ph.D., Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters

Thought partnership, concept development, and writing provided by Jill Currie Consulting.

April Is National

Child Abuse

Prevention Month

The Resource Guide is only the beginning. Visit

the National Child Abuse Prevention Month

website for additional information and resources.

Join the Campaign

Help families thrive by connecting your community to key resources and

information. Find free graphics, engaging social media posts, and more

to help spread the word!

Access Resources on the Go

Use the Resource Guide anytime, anywhere. Print and share the

Protective Factors Conversation Guides or download a digital version of

the entire guide!

Stay Connected

Find out what’s new by signing up for email updates on the

website, and follow @childwelfare on Facebook and @childwelfaregov

on Twitter.

Give Us Your Feedback

Let us know how you are using this year’s Resource Guide and provide

feedback on the overall campaign by completing a brief survey.

childwelfare.gov/preventionmonth

FRIENDS National Center for

Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention

800 Eastowne Drive, Suite 105

Chapel Hill, NC 27514

919.490.5577

www.friendsnrc.org

A Service of the Children’s Bureau/ACYF

330 C Street SW - 3rd Floor

Washington, D.C. 20024

800.394.3366

Email: info@childwelfare.gov

www.childwelfare.gov

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families

Administration on Children, Youth and Families

Children’s Bureau

www.acf.hhs.gov/cb

Download
Save PDF to desktop

Email
Email completed PDF

Send for Signing
Email for others to sign

Print
Print document

NAME

Prevention 20212022 (Health and Human Services)

View Audit Log
Print With Audit Log
Duplicate Document

Fill Online, Printable, Fillable, Blank Prevention 2021/2022 (Health and Human Services) Form

Related forms

Fillable Prevention 2021/2022 (Health and Human Services)

Fill Online, Printable, Fillable, Blank Prevention 2021/2022 (Health and Human Services) Form

Related forms

First 20 documents completely FREE!