The Strengthening Families framework is an evidence-based approach that identifies five Protective Factors that, when present and robust in families, help prevent child abuse and neglect, as well as support optimal healthy growth and development in children. The Protective Factors provide both a framework and an interrelated approach to serving families well.
Trainings:
Strengthening Families: An Effective Approach to Supporting Families (SF101)
Strengthening Families through Protective Factors and Parent Cafés (combined community module)
Parent Cafés: Engaging Parents in Conversations that Matter
Bringing the Protective Factors Framework to Life in Your Work – A Resource for Action
Strengthening Families: An Effective Approach to Supporting Families (SF101)
Length: 3 hours
The Protective Factors provide both a framework and an interrelated approach to serving families well, and to reducing incidences of child abuse and neglect. This workshop is considered a "101" or basic training for those who are not familiar with the Protective Factors framework. Participants in this course will understand the five Protective Factors and the Seven Key Strategies that support the presence of the Protective Factors. All participants will understand how the Strengthening Families framework supports the healthy emotional development of children and prevents incidences of child maltreatment.
Strengthening Families through Protective Factors and Parent Cafés
Length: 3 hours
The Strengthening Families framework is an evidence-based approach that identifies five protective factors that, when present and robust in families, help prevent child abuse and neglect as well as support optimal healthy growth and development in children. Participants in this interactive train-the-trainer workshop will gain in-depth knowledge of the Strengthening Families protective factors and the seven key strategies that support this framework. During the first part of this full day training, participants will gain in-depth knowledge of the Strengthening Families protective factors and the seven key strategies that support this framework. In the second part, participants will learn about the Parent Café model as a tool for parent engagement. Parent Cafés are being used across the country as effective vehicles for engaging parents, families and communities in conversations that matter.
Many states like Massachusetts, who are implementing the Strengthening Families framework, use Parent Cafés to engage parents and families in discussions on how to support the development of the five strengthening families protective factors that make their families strong. Parent Cafés are fun, engaging, inclusive and culturally inclusive. They also provide a wonderful opportunity to hear parent and family voices and develop parent family leadership in organizations and communities. Through participation in this training, participants will be able to deliver Protective Factors training in their community as well as to plan and host local Parent Café activities.
Strengthening Families through Protective Factors and Parent Cafés (combined community module)
Length: 6 hours
The protective factors provide, both a framework and an interrelated approach to serving families and reducing incidences of child abuse and neglect. The first part of this training will introduce the Strengthening Families protective factors and the seven key strategies that support these factors.
In the second part, participants will learn about the Parent Café model as a tool for parent engagement. Parent Cafés are used across the country as effective vehicles for engaging parents, families and communities in conversations that matter. Parent Cafés are fun, engaging, inclusive and culturally inclusive. They also provide a wonderful opportunity to hear parent and family voices and develop parent family leadership in organizations and communities. Through participation in this training, participants will be able to deliver Protective Factors training in their community as well as to plan and host local Parent Café activities.
Parent Cafés: Engaging Parents in Conversations that Matter
Length: 3 hours
Parent Cafés are being used across the country as effective vehicles for engaging parents, families, and communities in conversations that matter. Many states, like Massachusetts, who are implementing the Strengthening Families framework use Parent Cafés to engage parents and families in discussions on how to support the development of the five Protective Factors that make their families strong. Parent Cafés are fun, engaging, and inclusive. They provide an opportunity to hear parent and family voices and develop parent and family leadership in organizations and communities. Participants will be prepared to host and support delivery of Parent Café activities.
Bringing the Protective Factors Framework to Life in Your Work – A Resource for Action
Length: 12 hours per module (2 days)
Training Audience: Professionals who have attended a Strengthening Families Protective Factors training or who have a basic understanding of the framework.
In 2012 the National Alliance of Children’s Trust and Prevention Funds adapted their popular online training: Bringing the Protective Factors Framework to Life in Your Work to a face to face training. This training provides in-depth knowledge and resources for building each of the five protective factors with families in a variety of settings (Parental Resilience, Social Connections, Concrete Supports in Times of Need, Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development and Social Emotional Development of Children).
Full day training breakdown structure:
- module 1: Bringing the Protective Factors Framework to Life in Your Work: Parental Resilience and Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development
Introduction to the Protective Factors Framework
Participants will be provided with an overview of the Protective Factors Framework. This overview will provide participants with knowledge about the history, research and impact of this framework in the early education and care field. It will also include a discussion about the universality of strength based practice.
Parental Resilience
This section of the training will engage participants in understanding the impact of parental resilience in families’ lives. Participants will engage in various activities and discussions that will enable them to understand how they can help families become resilient through one on one interactions and intentional programmatic activities.
Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development
The afternoon section will focus on exploring how knowledge of parenting and child development is critical to supporting families in promoting optimal child development and preventing child abuse and neglect. Optimal child development is one of the main reasons that EEC adopted the Protective Factors framework for working with families. Participants will learn strategies for promoting positive parenting strategies and presenting information to parents about child development. Participants will also learn how to incorporate these practices into their work.
- module 2: Bringing the Protective Factors Framework to Life in Your Work: Social Connections and Concrete Supports in Times of Need
Social Connections
Positive social connections that support families through the diverse challenges they encounter can help families to stay strong, get through the hard times and enjoy family life. This section of the training will help participants understand the value of helping parents and families connect to others in a variety of ways that reduce their isolation and increase their social supports. We will also consider ways to partner with parents to help foster these kinds of connections.
Concrete Supports in Times of Need
In the afternoon participants will learn of ways they can provide welcoming, non-threatening support to families. Participants will be challenged to think of ways in your own community that you can link families to services and opportunities and to consider ways in which culture and tradition can play into the challenge of doing this. We will also reflect on ways that lack of support, when under stress, can sometimes lead to child maltreatment.
- module 3: Bringing the Protective Factors Framework to Life in Your Work: Social Emotional Development of Children
Children’s Social and Emotional Competence
In this course you will explore this protective factor, learning about the characteristics of children who are emotionally healthy. You will discuss realistic expectations of the development of this protective factor at various developmental stages and how healthy social and emotional competence can help make child maltreatment less likely to occur. Finally, you will see examples of how parents and other caregivers can develop strategies that will help children to grow emotionally and socially and create an action plan to intentionally integrate effective strategies into your everyday work.
Moving from Knowledge to Action
After deep exploration of each of the protective factors, it is important to review what you have learned, reflect on how you can strengthen families in your personal and work experiences and to reexamine not only how you do your work, but why you do it. In this course you will review basic information about the Strengthening Families ™ Protective Factors Framework in order to feel confident in your understanding of this approach. You will be encourages to recognize and acknowledge ways that systems and policy changes can play in establishing this way of working with families as “the new normal.” Finally, you will create an action play to begin to intentionally integrate or continue to expand these ideas and strategies in your everyday work.
Visit our training calendar to see the upcoming training schedule or email Rayna Charles, Director of Family Support Training & Parent Education.
