Developed by the

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• Developed by the
• Center for the Study of Social Policy
• Funded by the
• Doris Duke Charitable Foundation

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Strengthening Families began by seeking a
strategic, feasible approach to child abuse
prevention that was

• systematic,
• national,
• reached large numbers of
  very young children, and
• would have impact long
• before abuse or neglect occurred

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Usual CAN Prevention Strategies

• Public education campaigns (both targeted and
  general)
• Parent education
• Family support programs/family resource centers
• Home visiting and other targeted interventions
  based on risk

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CAN Prevention

• Successes
• Created broad public awareness of the issue
• Provided needed information and support to
  targeted families
• Learned about risk factors and how to target
  families at risk

• Challenges
• Created a sense of defeat/hopelessness
• Issues of at risk stigma seriously affect
  program participation and impact
• Does not reach enough families early enough

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The hypothesis early care and education programs
could be a good strategy because they offer

• Daily contact with parents
  and children
• Uniquely intimate relationship
  with families
• A universal approach of positive encouragement
  and education for families
• An early warning and response system at the first
  sign of trouble

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A new CAN Prevention Framework

• Suitable for universal, positive approach to
  families (no risk factors or deficit approach)
• Connected to what early childhood programs could
  really do
• Based on hard evidence

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National Consultation

• CBFRS
• Child Trends
• CWLA
• Family Support America
• Free to Grow
• Natl.Alliance of Childrens Trust Funds

• NAEYC
• NCCAN
• NACCRRA
• Natl. Child Care Assn
• Prevent Child Abuse America
• USA Child Care
• Zero to Three

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Protective Factors

• Parental Resilience
• Social Connections
• Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development
• Concrete Support in Times of Need
• Social and Emotional Competence of Children

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How Early Childhood programs contribute to
prevention of child abuse and neglect
Protective Factors
Quality Early Care Education
Parental Resilience
Program Strategies That ????
Social Connections
Knowledge of Parenting Child Development
CAN Prevention
Concrete supports in times of need
Social and Emotional Competence of Children
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(No Transcript)
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How Early Childhood programs contribute to
prevention of child abuse and neglect
Protective Factors
Quality Early Care Education
Parental Resilience
Program Strategies That

• Facilitate friendships and mutual support
• Strengthen parenting
• Respond to family crises
• Link families to services and opportunities
• Value and support parents
• Facilitate childrens social and emotional
  development
• Observe and respond to early warning signs of
  child abuse or neglect

Social Connections
Knowledge of Parenting Child Development
CAN Prevention
Concrete supports in times of need
Social and Emotional Competence of Children
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Tools for Implementation

• Program guide book and self-assessment tools
• Literature review
• Program summaries
• Analysis of EC infrastructure requirements
• Newsletters and updates
• Handouts/slide shows/communication materials
• Web site www.cssp.org

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Early care and education programs can serve
several critical roles for young parents 

• as a primary source of information and support
  for young families
• as a gateway to outside services or supports such
  as health or mental health services,
  transportation, and even education, housing and
  jobs. 
• as the key early warning system when families or
  children are in trouble.

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What it takes

• Small but significant changes in program
  orientation, practice, and attitudes about
  working with families
• New partnerships with other service providers,
  particularly child welfare agencies

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Creating national momentum

• National partners
• Zero to Three
• NAEYC
• U of WI
• Alliance of Childrens Trust and Prevention Funds

• CSSP
• State pilots
• What does it take?
• What would help?
• Technical Assistance
• Work with funders
• Dissemination

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A few persuasive States

• Alaska
• Arkansas
• Illinois
• Missouri
• New Hampshire
• Rhode Island
• Wisconsin

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State Leadership Teams

• Child Welfare
• Early Childhood Pre K and child care
  administration and licensing
• Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems planning
  (MCH)
• Early childhood providers of all kinds
• Advocates for children
• Childrens Trust Funds and Prevent Child Abuse
  affiliates
• Families

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Cross State Issues

• Professional Development
• CW/EC linkages
• Communications
• Policy and funding changes
• Evaluation and tracking
• Learning networks of exemplary programs

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What states can do

• Define and promote quality standards for early
  care that include the five protective factors for
  families.
• Change licensing requirements to include
  protective factors
• Create incentives for programs to adopt new
  practices

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Partnerships

• Create real partnerships between early care
  providers and other agencies that work with
  children and families especially the child
  welfare agency.
• Change policy and practice to facilitate
  partnerships.
• Train all professionals who work with children to
  promote protective factors

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• Alaska
• Pilot programs with CAN tracking
• Develop EC/CW links
• Professional Development

• Arkansas
• 3-5 Pilot programs
• EC/CW links, including cross training
• Professional Development
• Media campaign
• Parent involvement

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• Missouri
• Pilot programs
• Develop evaluation tools
• Professional development, including cross
  training CW and EC workers
• CW/EC links, including policy and practice
  changes
• Funders group
• Mental health and special needs children links

• Illinois
• 4 Pilot programs with results tracking
• EC plan for state wards
• Professional development in CW and EC
• CW/EC links
• Communications plan
• Parent component

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• New Hampshire
• 10 pilot programs with evaluation by DYFS and UNH
• Create model MOAs to create multi agency links
• Professional development, including higher ed.

• Rhode Island
• Community pilot
• Professional development
• Indicators and tracking
• Communications plan
• Mental Health consultation model
• Focus on families affected by domestic violence
  and substance abuse

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• Wisconsin
• EC/CW links and policy changes
• Pilot programs
• Professional development for EC providers
• Research-based Evaluation

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An interesting development

• What about the very vulnerable young children
  already in the child welfare system?
• EC programs can provide
• Key developmental support
• Continuity of care
• Support for foster families, kin, and biological
  families
• Early warning and response

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So, in pilot states

• CW agencies are looking into
• Training for case workers foster families
  around child development
• Changes in assessment and data collection
• Reimbursements, training and support services
  (e.g. Mental Health consultants) for centers