Transcript National Alliance of Children’s Trust and Prevention Funds

PREVENTING CHILD NEGLECT:
IT’S MORE THAN A FAMILY AFFAIR
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Welcome & Introductions
Definition & the Basics of Child Neglect
Preventing Child Neglect Initiative
Preventing Child Neglect: the Socio-Ecological Model
What You Can Do…at each level of S-E Model
Your Comments, Observations & Questions
The Father of
Children’s Trust Funds
• Ray Helfer, MD conceived of
and advocated for state
children’s trust and prevention
funds.
• The first Children’s Trust Fund
was created in the state of
Kansas in 1980, beginning a
national movement for
developing CTFs in all states.
• Support from the federal Child
Abuse Prevention and
Treatment Act (CAPTA) has
always been important to CTFs
Children’s Trust and
Prevention Funds (CTFs)
• In almost every state.
• Focus on
strengthening families
to prevent child abuse
and neglect before it
occurs.
• Catalyze and support
prevention efforts at
the individual, family,
community and
societal levels.
CTFs Hold Multiple Roles
• About 60% are the state CBCAP lead agency
• About 25% are the state Prevent Child Abuse
America chapter
• Many are licensed to manage specific
programs in their state
Provide $200 million in funding
• Children’s Trust and
Prevention Funds
annually provide about
$200 million in funding
for state-wide and
community-based child
abuse and neglect
prevention strategies
and leverage even
greater amounts of
funding.
National Alliance of Children’s Trust and
Prevention Funds
The Alliance was established in 1989 to:
Promote and support a national network of strong
state children’s trust and prevention funds (CTFs)
Initiate and engage in national efforts that help CTFs
in strengthening families to prevent child abuse and
neglect.
Promote and support a system of services, laws,
practices and attitudes that supports families by
enabling them to provide their children with safe,
healthy, and nurturing childhoods.
National Alliance of Children’s Trust
and Prevention Funds
Alliance is the membership organization for
state children’s trust and prevention funds
Multi-year focus on helping CTFs, their state
systems partners and community programs
support families in building protective factors
Strong collaborations with other national
organizations and federal partners
Commitment to partnering with parents and
community members
Slide on State Trust Fund
About Neglect…
It’s Important to Remember
There is sometimes a fine line between
parental neglect of children and societal
neglect of families
The result for the children can be equally
devastating
Neglect prevention strategies can be quite
different and include policies, practices,
programs, financing, economic development,
support for basic needs, etc.
THE SEARCH FOR A DEFINITION
While there is no singular definition of child neglect, a
generic statement that is unlikely to be refuted is:
Child Neglect is a failure to meet children’s
basic needs – whether the failure is the
responsibility of parents, communities or
society – and this void places children in
harm’s way.
Conceptualizing Neglect
Parental neglect of
children
Societal neglect of
families
Community neglect
of families
Societal neglect of
community
BASICS OF CHILD NEGLECT
 Neglect is not one monolithic category – subtypes include
physical, medical, emotional & educational neglect, &
inadequate supervision
 Dominant and most pervasive form of CA/N
 70% of all child fatalities (2012)
 Only type of CA/N that has not declined in recent years
 More likely to recur that other forms of CA/N
 When recurring, cumulative impacts to child over time
 Can seriously impair child’s physical, cognitive, & social
and emotional development
BASICS OF CHILD NEGLECT
No single cause of neglect
Four evidence-informed characteristics that
contribute to or are associated with child
neglect




Low socio-economic status
Maternal depression and mental health disorders
Substance abuse
Interpersonal violence
INITIATIVE’S SCOPE OF WORK:
PREVENTING CHILD NEGLECT
Alliance’s Neglect Prevention Initiative
Integrating six years of work on the Strengthening
Families Protective Factor Framework
Literature review
Key informant interviews
Creating a research-informed approach to child
neglect prevention
Identifying strategies that prevent child neglect
Leading a national conversation
Social-Ecological Model
and Protective Factors
Concrete Supports in
Times of Need
Society
Community/
Concrete Supports in
Social Connections Neighborhood
Times of Need
Family/
Knowledge of Parenting &
Child Development
Relationships
Child/
Parent Resilience
Individual
Social and Emotional
Competence of Children
Spectrum of Prevention
www.preventioninstitute.org
Influencing Legislation and Policy
Changing Organizational Practices
Fostering Coalitions & Networks
Educating Providers
Promoting Community Education
Strengthening Individual Knowledge & Skills
KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWEES
 Variety of experiences/perspectives
 Selected CTF directors
 Researchers
 Policy Experts
 Practitioners/Social Workers
 Family Members
 Cross Disciplinary Professionals
KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
 Risk and Protective Factors at each of four levels
of Socio - Ecological Model
 What is working well at family, community,
system and policies to prevent neglect from
occurring?
 What efforts need to be made to make significant
impact on preventing neglect from occurring?
 Role/contributions to be made by the Alliance
 Role/contributions to be made by the CTFs
MOST FREQUENTLY IDENTIFIED PROTECTIVE
FACTORS
Understanding of/Focus on Brain Architecture
Universal Early Childhood Education &
Development
Standard of Adequate Parent Care /Parenting
Behaviors
Resources to Meet Family’s Needs
Competent Parenting
MOST FREQUENTLY IDENTIFIED RISK FACTORS
History of Trauma
Maternal Depression/Mental Health
Substance Abuse
Devaluing/minimizing challenges
associated with raising children
Poverty has a Sense of Urgency
Action is Needed to:
Shore up the safety net
Raise political awareness about poverty
Reframe issues & narratives in ways that
reduce or eliminate polarization of our
reactions to social problems
Move discussion from incriminating parents to
examining context & communities in which
almost all parents are trying to raise children
safely
A Research-Based Action-Oriented
Approach to Preventing Child Neglect
SO WHAT CAN WE ALL
DO TO GET FROM
HERE…
A CALL TO ACTION
TO PREVENT
CHILD NEGLECT
A Research-Based Action-Oriented
Approach to Preventing Child Neglect
TO
THERE
OUTCOMES
Safe & Healthy Children
Strong & Stable Families
Supportive and Thriving Communities
Humanitarian Society
FOUNDATIONAL REQUISITES
THE GIVENS
 Acknowledge Existence & Increase Public Awareness
 Recognize the Ramifications of Inaction to Children’s
Brain Development and Health (short-term) and our
Nation’s Economic Prosperity (long-term)
 Develop Needed Partnerships and Relevant
Resources to Take Action
 Embrace Preventative Strategies to Reduce the
Incidence and Prevalence of Child Neglect
 Intervene & Effectively Treat Child Neglect
 Address All Areas of the Social Ecology
Call to Action:
PREVENT CHILD NEGLECT
SOCIETY
Federal laws and public policies that
• Remediate child and family poverty
• Meet children’s basic needs
• Increase supports of family policies
• Support father involvement
• Develop partnerships with families
• Respect culturally diverse practices
• Promote universal approaches that target very
young children and families
• Encourage comprehensive, integrative
approaches
Public will and social norms that
• Encourage giving of ourselves to benefit those
less fortunate
• Eliminate stigma associated with needing and
asking for help
• Expect formal and informal leaders to “walk
the talk”
Federal and state financing that
• Invests in cost-effective prevention efforts
• Funds strategies/programs that collectively
meet the multi-dimensional needs of families
• Prioritizes research funding (including
neuroscience)
OUTCOMES: Humanitarian
Society
COMMUNITY
Neighborhood
• Available/accessible/affordable/qua
lity
 Food
 Housing
 Education
 Child care
 Transportation
 Health care
 Job opportunities/living income
 Social supports
• Safe, stable and nurturing
environment
• Parent participation in local
endeavors
• Community culture of collaboration
• Concrete supports in times of need
• Linkages to quality services when
needed
• Culturally specific services and
supports
• Research-based services selection
to enhance child and family wellbeing
Supportive and
Thriving
Communities




Acknowledge existence and increase public awareness of child neglect
Recognize the ramifications of inaction
Embrace strategies to reduce incidence and prevalence of child neglect
Intervene and effectively treat child neglect
FAMILY
Relationship
Strategies and methods that
build and sustain
• Strong families
• Healthy partner
relationship
• Nurturing and attachment
• Fathers’ involvement
• Social connections
• Family’s ability to provide
basic needs for children
• Parents as key decisionmakers in their own
families
Strong and
Stable
Families
INDIVIDUAL
Parent/
Caregiver/Child
Strategies and methods that
build and sustain
• Physical, emotional and
economic well-being
• Knowledge of parenting
and child development
• Parental resilience
• Social and emotional
competence of children
• Parent’s ability to obtain
assistance if needed
Safe and
Healthy
Children
A WISH LIST AT THE SOCIETY LEVEL
Advances in neuroscience
Government policies and programs that
provide economic support
Recognize the importance of parenting & offer
education, social and material support to
parents who are in need
Design prevention strategies that address all
levels of socio-ecological model
Universal policies that support new parents
Call to Action:
PREVENT CHILD NEGLECT
SOCIETY
Federal laws and public policies that
• Remediate child and family poverty
• Meet children’s basic needs
• Increase supports of family policies
• Support father involvement
• Develop partnerships with families
• Respect culturally diverse practices
• Promote universal approaches that target very
young children and families
• Encourage comprehensive, integrative
approaches
Public will and social norms that
• Encourage giving of ourselves to benefit those
less fortunate
• Eliminate stigma associated with needing and
asking for help
• Expect formal and informal leaders to “walk
the talk”
Federal and state financing that
• Invest in cost-effective prevention efforts
• Fund strategies/programs that collectively
meet the multi-dimensional needs of families
• Prioritize research funding (including
neuroscience)
OUTCOMES:Humanitarian
Society
COMMUNITY
Neighborhood
• Available/accessible/affordable/qua
lity
 Food
 Housing
 Education
 Child care
 Transportation
 Health care
 Job opportunities/living income
 Social supports
• Safe, stable and nurturing
environment
• Parent participation in local
endeavors
• Community culture of collaboration
• Concrete supports in times of need
• Linkages to quality services when
needed
• Culturally specific services and
supports
• Research-based services selection
to enhance child and family wellbeing
Supportive and
Thriving
Communities




Acknowledge existence and increase public awareness of child neglect
Recognize the ramifications of inaction
Embrace strategies to reduce incidence and prevalence of child neglect
Intervene and effectively treat child neglect
FAMILY
Relationship
Strategies and methods that
build and sustain
• Strong families
• Healthy partner
relationship
• Nurturing and attachment
• Fathers’ involvement
• Social connections
• Family’s ability to provide
basic needs for children
• Parents as key decisionmakers in their own
families
Strong and
Stable
Families
INDIVIDUAL
Parent/
Caregiver/Child
Strategies and methods that
build and sustain
• Physical, emotional and
economic well-being
• Knowledge of parenting
and child development
• Parental resilience
• Social and emotional
competence of children
• Parent’s ability to obtain
assistance if needed
Safe and
Healthy
Children
Call to Action:
PREVENT CHILD NEGLECT
SOCIETY
Federal laws and public policies that
• Remediate child and family poverty
• Meet children’s basic needs
• Increase supports of family policies
• Support father involvement
• Develop partnerships with families
• Respect culturally diverse practices
• Promote universal approaches that target very
young children and families
• Encourage comprehensive, integrative
approaches
Public will and social norms that
• Encourage giving of ourselves to benefit those
less fortunate
• Eliminate stigma associated with needing and
asking for help
• Expect formal and informal leaders to “walk
the talk”
Federal and state financing that
• Invest in cost-effective prevention efforts
• Fund strategies/programs that collectively
meet the multi-dimensional needs of families
• Prioritize research funding (including
neuroscience)
OUTCOMES:Humanitarian
Society




COMMUNITY
Neighborhood
• Available/accessible/affordable/qua
lity
 Food
 Housing
 Education
 Child care
 Transportation
 Health care
 Job opportunities/living income
 Social supports
• Safe, stable and nurturing
environment
• Parent participation in local
endeavors
• Community culture of collaboration
• Concrete supports in times of need
• Linkages to quality services when
needed
• Culturally specific services and
supports
• Research-based services selection
to enhance child and family wellbeing
Supportive and
Thriving
Communities
Acknowledge existence and increase public awareness of child neglect
Recognize the ramifications of inaction
Embrace strategies to reduce incidence and prevalence of child neglect
Intervene and effectively treat child neglect
FAMILY
Relationship
Strategies and methods that
build and sustain
• Strong families
• Healthy partner
relationship
• Nurturing and attachment
• Fathers’ involvement
• Social connections
• Family’s ability to provide
basic needs for children
• Parents as key decisionmakers in their own
families
Strong and
Stable
Families
INDIVIDUAL
Parent/
Caregiver/Child
Strategies and methods
that build and sustain
• Physical, emotional and
economic well-being
• Knowledge of parenting
and child development
• Parental resilience
• Social and emotional
competence of children
• Parent’s ability to obtain
assistance if needed
Safe and
Healthy
Children
Call to Action:
PREVENT CHILD NEGLECT
SOCIETY
Federal laws and public policies that
• Remediate child and family poverty
• Meet children’s basic needs
• Increase supports of family policies
• Support father involvement
• Develop partnerships with families
• Respect culturally diverse practices
• Promote universal approaches that target very
young children and families
• Encourage comprehensive, integrative
approaches
Public will and social norms that
• Encourage giving of ourselves to benefit those
less fortunate
• Eliminate stigma associated with needing and
asking for help
• Expect formal and informal leaders to “walk
the talk”
Federal and state financing that
• Invest in cost-effective prevention efforts
• Fund strategies/programs that collectively
meet the multi-dimensional needs of families
• Prioritize research funding (including
neuroscience)
OUTCOMES:Humanitarian
Society
 Acknowledge existence and increase public awareness of child neglect
 Recognize the ramifications of inaction
 Embrace strategies to reduce incidence and prevalence of child neglect
 Intervene and effectively treat child neglect
COMMUNITY
Neighborhood
• Available/accessible/affordable/qua
lity
 Food
 Housing
 Education
 Child care
 Transportation
 Health care
 Job opportunities/living income
 Social supports
• Safe, stable and nurturing
environment
• Parent participation in local
endeavors
• Community culture of collaboration
• Concrete supports in times of need
• Linkages to quality services when
needed
• Culturally specific services and
supports
• Research-based services selection
to enhance child and family wellbeing
Supportive and
Thriving Communities
FAMILY
Relationship
Strategies and methods that
build and sustain
• Strong families
• Healthy partner
relationship
• Nurturing and attachment
• Fathers’ involvement
• Social connections
• Family’s ability to provide
basic needs for children
• Parents as key decisionmakers in their own
families
Strong and
Stable
Families
INDIVIDUAL
Parent/
Caregiver/Child
Strategies and methods
that build and sustain
• Physical, emotional and
economic well-being
• Knowledge of parenting
and child development
• Parental resilience
• Social and emotional
competence of children
• Parent’s ability to obtain
assistance if needed
Safe and
Healthy
Children
Call to Action:
PREVENT CHILD NEGLECT
SOCIETY
Federal laws and public policies that
• Remediate child and family poverty
• Meet children’s basic needs
• Increase supports of family policies
• Support father involvement
• Develop partnerships with families
• Respect culturally diverse practices
• Promote universal approaches that target very
young children and families
• Encourage comprehensive, integrative
approaches
Public will and social norms that
• Encourage giving of ourselves to benefit those
less fortunate
• Eliminate stigma associated with needing and
asking for help
• Expect formal and informal leaders to “walk
the talk”
Federal and state financing that
• Invest in cost-effective prevention efforts
• Fund strategies/programs that collectively
meet the multi-dimensional needs of families
• Prioritize research funding (including
neuroscience)
OUTCOMES: Humanitarian
Society
•
•
•
•
Acknowledge existence and increase public awareness of child neglect
Recognize the ramifications of inaction
Embrace strategies to reduce incidence and prevalence of child neglect
Intervene and effectively treat child neglect
COMMUNITY
Neighborhood
• Available/accessible/affordable/qua
lity
 Food
 Housing
 Education
 Child care
 Transportation
 Health care
 Job opportunities/living income
 Social supports
• Safe, stable and nurturing
environment
• Parent participation in local
endeavors
• Community culture of collaboration
• Concrete supports in times of need
• Linkages to quality services when
needed
• Culturally specific services and
supports
• Research-based services selection
to enhance child and family wellbeing
Supportive and
Thriving Communities
FAMILY
Relationship
Strategies and methods that
build and sustain
• Strong families
• Healthy partner
relationship
• Nurturing and attachment
• Fathers’ involvement
• Social connections
• Family’s ability to provide
basic needs for children
• Parents as key decisionmakers in their own
families
Strong and
Stable Families
INDIVIDUAL
Parent/
Caregiver
Strategies and
methods that build
and sustain
• Physical, emotional
and economic wellbeing
• Knowledge of
parenting and child
development
• Parental resilience
• Social and emotional
competence of
children
• Parent’s ability to
obtain assistance if
needed
Safe and
Healthy Children
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
Somehow we have created divisions in order to
organize and encapsulate the work and
ultimately we have done a disservice to the
impact that we are trying to achieve and a
disservice to children and their families. We
cannot be limited by programmatic levels; we
have to put together research and theory and
practice and policy in a way that can lead to
transformational change. - Key Informant
THESE WORK WELL…
LET’S Do MORE of Them
 Home Visiting – universal & targeted
 Family Connection
 Project Safe Care
 Triple P – Positive Parenting Program
 Strengthening Families Initiative
 Nurturing Parent Program
 Early Head Start
 Incredible Years
 Circle of Parents/ Parents Anonymous
IDENTIFYING THAT WHICH IS RELATED
And Joining the Existing Effort
Comprehensive Community Change Initiatives
WI Community Response Program – Project
Gain
Promise Neighborhoods (DOE)
Choice Neighborhoods (HUD)
Invest in Children – Cuyahoga County, OH
Help Me Grow
What Can I Do…
…As a Member of SOCIETY?
 Communicate the importance of child neglect prevention
in all walks of life – Assume the role of advocate and
champion whenever possible
 Advocate to shore up the safety net
 Raise political awareness about poverty and the need to
alleviate it
 Reframe issues & narratives in ways that reduce or
eliminate polarization of our reactions to social problems
 Move discussion from incriminating parents to examining
the context and communities in which nearly all parents
are trying to raise children safely
What Can I Do…
…As a Member of a COMMUNITY ?
 Communicate importance of child neglect prevention to your
neighbors
 Mobilize community members to establish “2-1-1” capacity to
identify and share information about resources to meet
families’ needs
 Establish means to expose “power leaders” to (1) families living
in compromised environments & (2) efforts that effectively
prevent child neglect…Facilitate this exposure.
 Identify credible Story Tellers who are willing to publically share
their personal narratives and promote opportunities to share
these stories.
 Offer and provide support to parents and others who share
their personal narratives to educate others.
A Reminder That:
 All families have strengths
 All communities have
strengths
 The solutions to
challenges are most often
in the community
 A little help from outside
can leverage significant
results
Community Cafés
 Engaging community
members in focused,
structured discussions
around questions that are
important to child, family
and community well-being.
 Building partnerships with
parents and building
protective factors within a
community
What Can I Do…
…As a Member of a FAMILY ?
 Demonstrate supportive parent-child Interactions both in
your home and in public settings
 Identify & remind parents of what they do well when
stressful situations challenge their parenting confidence.
 Form a playgroup where parents come together and
support one another while their children play with peers.
 Nurture your primary relationship and remember the
importance of intimate partner relationship stability
 Create or maintain opportunities and experiences that
instill hope and promote optimism
What Can I Do…
…As An INDIVIDUAL?
 Communicate the importance of child neglect
prevention to others and whenever possible, enlist
them in your efforts.
 Become a resource to your local media on child neglect
prevention as well as to civic, religious, and hobby
groups that present opportunities to ‘spread the word.’
 Change the dialogue – Create narratives that challenge
the notion that support to families is overprotective.
 Listen, empathize, and instill hope whenever you speak
with families confronting challenges
 Support families in building protective factors
We Wouldn’t Ask This of You….
…without offering some resources
and support for your efforts.
Bringing the Protective Factors
Framework to Life in Your Work
 Online training to support
implementation of the
Strengthening Families™ Protective
Factors Framework in multiple
settings
 Systems may use it for awarding
CEUs, other credits
 Provided free of charge to users
 7 courses,
each about
2 hours in length
o Introduction to the Framework
(also useful as a stand-alone
orientation)
o A course on each of the 5
Protective Factors
o A wrap-up course that moves
users from knowledge to
action
More information is available at: www.ctfalliance.org/onlinetraining
Contact [email protected]
The Alliance is Now Training Others to Become Certified Trainers on This
Course Material Adapted From the On-line Content. Those Completing the
3-Day Training of Trainers:
 Become Certified Trainers and members of a national learning
community of trainers from diverse fields who seek excellence in
training around protective factors
 Receive the Trainer’s Manual for all 7 courses
 Receive a limited license to use course materials to train local and
state audiences
 Receive access to the Alliance’s Trainer Support Site, offering the
ability to :
 Download all training materials
 Utilize a virtual library organized around the Protective
Factors
 Have access to a trainer forum
 Participate in periodic Learning Community Networking Events
with other Certified Trainers
Specific Neglect Prevention Materials
Executive Summary of the Key Informant
Interviews
Special Editions of the Research Review
Others in Development Now
Research Review
• Alliance publication to share research and innovative
approaches in the field of child abuse and neglect prevention
• Each edition includes a section that “spotlights” a particular
area such as home visiting, preventing child neglect, program
implementation science, etc.
• Each edition also includes “The Savvy Practitioner,” a section
that helps those who are not researchers better understand
and be able to implement the important research findings
related to our work
• Helps bridge the gap between research and practice
www.ctfalliance.org/researchreview
Birth Parent National Network (BPNN)
 For parents at risk of or already engaged in the child welfare
system and the organizations that support them
 Build knowledge base on engaging parents as strategic
partners in policy activities
 Disseminate knowledge and information to BPNN
organizations and parents
 Engage parents as partners to inform policy and practice
 Expand tools to train parents and organizations to
communicate messages and partner together to change
practice and policy at state and federal levels.
 Build a cohesive and unified national voice to inform policy
and practice
Resources for Action Series
• A series of 13 publications, five videos and other resources developed by
the Alliance in collaboration with children’s trust funds and their partners
• The focus is on partnering with parents, research, community capacity
building, professional development, policy and collaboration
www.ctfalliance.org/ResourcesForAction
Contact Information
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E-Mail Address
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