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Strengthening Families: The Key to Safe & Healthy Children

Standards for Family-Serving Programs: Building Success through Family Support

Developed by the NJ Task Force on Child Abuse & Neglect & Family Support America

©Statewide Parent Advocacy Network 2004

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What is Family Support?

• A set of beliefs & an approach to strengthening & empowering families & communities

• Grassroots, community-based programs designed to promote family cohesion & prevent family problems

• A shift in service delivery• A movement for social

change

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How does family support work?

• Interventions are comprehensive and within the context of the family and the community

• Interventions promote positive behaviors & outcomes, instead of just treating problems

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How does family support work?

• Interventions focus on family-identified needs & hopes, not the wishes of professionals

• Interventions see the family as a part of its larger community

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How does family support work?

• Interventions help strengthen the family’s networks and use those networks as the major source of support

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What is the goal of family support?

• To help families learn and use the knowledge and skills they need to be effective as a family within their community

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How can you tell if it’s family support?

• Relationships are built on equality & respect

• Families learn how to get what they need

• Families are involved at every step of the way

• Family strengths are recognized and built on

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How can you tell if it’s family support?

• The diversity and cultural, racial, and language identities of families are celebrated & affirmed

• Communities are strengthened

• There is advocacy for fair, responsive & accountable systems

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What is “promotion of strong families”

• Also known as “primary prevention”:– Targets the general

population– Offers services &

activities before any signs of undesired behaviors

– Available to all regardless of family status

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What is “prevention?”

• Prevention includes:– Promotion, or primary

prevention

– Secondary prevention, targeted to families “at risk” before negative behaviors occur

– Tertiary prevention, provided to reduce the impact of negative behaviors & prevent their reoccurrence

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Standards for Family Support Programs

• The factors for effective family support programs include:– Beliefs in the

principles of family support

– Effective Practice– Effective

administration

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Belief in Family Support Ideas• Family-centered• Community-based• Culturally sensitive

and culturally competent

• Early start• Developmentally

appropriate• Families are partners• Empowerment &

strengths-based

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Effective Practice Standards

• Flexible & responsive• Based in partnership• Links with formal &

informal supports• Universally available &

voluntary• Comprehensive &

integrated/coordinated• Easily accessible• Long term and as intense

as needed

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Effective Administration Standards

• Sound program structure, design & practices

• Committed, caring staff• Data collection &

documentation• Measures outcomes &

conducts evaluation• Adequate funding & long

range plans• Collaborates with families

& communities

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BELIEFS: Family-Centered

• Children are part of & are influenced by their families

• Families are part of & are influenced by their communities

• Communities are part of & are influenced by our larger society

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Individual Influences

• Parent readiness• Parenting knowledge• Attitudes & beliefs• Self-esteem• Stress• Mental Health• Substance abuse

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Interpersonal & Societal Influences

• Marital factors• Lack of child care• Parents• Special needs• Isolation• Domestic violence

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Environmental Influences

• Society’s value of children & families

• Neighborhood conditions• Income-related stressors• Political factors• Housing• Tolerance/media portrayal

of violence• Discrimination &

prejudice

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BELIEFS: Community-based

• Supports & services are available locally where families live, work, attend school

• Supports & services contribute to community-building

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Community empowerment

• Shared responsibility, not just professional responsibility

• Power resides in communities, not agencies

• Communities, not professionals, are the experts

• Services & activities are planned & implemented based on community needs & priorities

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Community empowerment

• Interdependency & coordination of planning & services, not fragmentation

• Community-based leadership that develops shared vision, broad support, & management of community problem-solving, not external leadership based on authority, position or title

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Community empowerment

• Appreciation of racial, ethnic, language diversity, not denial of differences

• Emphasis on cooperation & collaboration rather than external linkages limited to networking & coordination

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Community empowerment

• Inclusive, not closed, decision-making

• Accountability to community, not agency

• Evaluation to check program development & evaluation, not just to raise funds

• Funding based on critical issues, not “categories”

• Maximum community involvement at all levels, not just feedback or input

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Family Strengthening Pyramid• Pre- and post-birth care &

mother-child bonding• Parent education• Child care/respite• Early childhood education• School climate improvement• Comprehensive health

education• Early substance abuse

prevention• Law-related education• Peer & other supports

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Family Strengthening Pyramid

• Stress relief• Meaningful work &

community service• Worksite wellness• Alternatives• Community education• Health screening &

assessments• Alternative health practices• Media influence• Spiritual development• Fun

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BELIEFS: Culturally sensitive & competent

• Affirm family cultural, ethnic, racial, & language identity

• Promote cross-cultural understanding & respect for differences

• Help families navigate the dominant US society & culture

• Work to make society more supportive of all families

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BELIEFS: Early start

• Support families before negative patterns are established

• Help families understand child development & their child’s unique strengths & needs

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BELIEFS:Developmentally appropriate

• Relevant to the ages & developmental levels of children & families

• Understanding of the unique needs at each stage in the life span of children & families

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Developmentally appropriate

• Child development is the ages & stages a child goes through:– Physically

– Emotionally

– Socially

– Intellectually

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Developmentally appropriate

• Stages of family development are related to:– Age(s) of their

child(ren)

– Transitions families experience

– Parent(s) aging process

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BELIEFS:Family-Professional Partnership

• Families & professionals work together in relationships based on equality & mutual respect

• Families are partners on the individual, program, agency, & systemic levels

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Family-Professional Partnership

• Important techniques:– Active listening

– Empathy

– Sincere caring

– Recognition & appreciation of existing knowledge & skills

– Focus on strengthening knowledge & skills

– Shared decision-making

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Families as Assets• National policy should be

built on a recognition that families are the essential unit of civic engagement & democracy

• Each family must be recognized & acknowledged as unique & individual

• All families have common human needs & require different levels of social investment at different times in their life span

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Families as Assets

• Investments in families & children become assets in the development of strong communities that participate in the larger good

• Children are our future, our legacy, & our responsibility

• Each of us can make a contribution to the future generations of all children.

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BELIEFS:Empowering & Strengths-Based

• Build on the knowledge & skills of families & communities

• Help families realize their own strengths to promote the healthy development of their children

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Empowering & Strengths-Based

• Recognize that everyone has strengths

• Create opportunities for learning & use of new skills & knowledge

• Support self-efficacy, self-reliance, positive mental health, competency, mastery of skills: “assets-building”

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ASSESSING BELIEFS• Is it family-centered?

– Involve all possible participants, such as child, parents, family members, caregivers?

• Is it community-based?– Reinforce outcomes in home &

community?– Engage community members in

program development, implementation & ownership?

– Recognize the role of community members in supporting families?

– Use informal & formal supports needed by family?

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ASSESSING BELIEFS

• Is it culturally sensitive & competent?– Promote & strengthen cultural

identity & diversity?

• Does it provide an early start?– Work with families BEFORE

negative patterns start – even before birth as needed?

• Is it developmentally appropriate?– Meet the needs of children &

families/caregivers at their stage(s) of development?

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ASSESSING BELIEFS

• Are families partners with staff/professionals?– Treat families as partners &

collaborate, as evidenced by involving families in planning & decision-making & promoting self-reliance?

• Are empowering & strengths-based approaches used?– Are the strengths & abilities

of families identified & built upon?

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EFFECTIVE PRACTICES:Flexible & Responsive

• Tailor practices to the needs of diverse families

• Provide supports as needed by families

• Services are flexible in type, language, etc., & change as needed

• Services respond to emerging family & community issues

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EFFECTIVE PRACTICES:Partnership Approaches

• Families influence policies & practices

• Coordination & collaboration among service providers is maximized

• Families & professionals advocate together for fair, responsive, & accountable services & systems

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EFFECTIVE PRACTICES:Linkages with Supports

• Professionals work with families to mobilize formal & informal resources to support families

• Professionals work with families & communities to build community supports

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EFFECTIVE PRACTICES:Linkages with Supports

• Supports include:– Schools

– Neighborhoods

– Religious institutions

– Peers, friends

– Media

– Health care providers

– Policymakers

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EFFECTIVE PRACTICES:Universally Available & Voluntary

• Programs, supports & services are offered to the broad community

• Programs, supports, & services are seen as an opportunity to learn & grow, not to “fix” dysfunction

• Participation is voluntary

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EFFECTIVE PRACTICES:Comprehensive & coordinated

• Multiple supports are available & used to reinforce positive outcomes

• Families have access to comprehensive information & coordinated resources

• Supports are available as long as needed

• Families can access “one-stop” services

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EFFECTIVE PRACTICES:Easily Accessible

• Services are available in non-threatening environments that are convenient to families

• Services are available at the times that families can take advantage of them

• Supports are provided for participation

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EFFECTIVE PRACTICES:Easily Accessible

• Services are available to wide range of families without limiting eligibility standards

• Effective outreach to diverse communities ensures that families are aware of available services

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EFFECTIVE PRACTICES:Long Term & Adequate Intensity

• Services are provided for as long as needed and to the extent needed

• Services respond to changing needs

• Services provide opportunities to celebrate short-term successes & work to maintain long-term positive outcomes

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EFFECTIVE PRACTICES:Long-term & Adequate Intensity

• Time needed is taken to develop trust, identify all needed services & supports, & comprehensively address needs through building knowledge & mastering skills

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ASSESSING EFFECTIVE PRACTICES

• Are services flexible & responsive?– Are services flexible to

respond to unique needs or circumstances of families?

– Can service intensity be varied based on needs?

– Are services offered at convenient times & locations?

– Are incentives & supports (childcare, transportation, refreshments) for participation provided?

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ASSESSING EFFECTIVE PRACTICES

• Are effective partnership approaches used?– Are families recognized &

treated as partners?– Are families provided with

the supports they need for effective partnership?

– Are services provided in partnership with other providers, to ensure coordination?

• Are participants linked with formal & informal supports?

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ASSESSING EFFECTIVE PRACTICES

• Are services universally available & voluntary?– Are services offered to a broad

range of families, not just families with problems?

– Are families who request services able to access them?

• Are services comprehensive, coordinated & integrated?– Do programs bring all needed

services together for easy access by families?

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ASSESSINGEFFECTIVE PRACTICES

• Are services easily accessible?– Are services in non-threatening

& convenient locations & times?– Can families easily access staff

when needed?– Are families aware of services &

how to access them?

• Are services long-term & with adequate intensity?– Are services provided with the

frequency & intensity needed?– Do services continue even after

short-term successes to ensure maintenance of desired outcomes?

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EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION

• Importance of effective administration & management of:– Overall agencies &

organizations

– Programs within agencies

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EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION:Agency/Organization

• Administrative structure

• Budget/financial management

• Funding & overall resource development

• Board of directors

• Human resources & personnel management

• Facility operations

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EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION:Agency/Organization

• Organizational policies & procedures

• Quality assurance & outcome measures

• Long-term & strategic planning

• Public relations & marketing

• Community support & collaboration

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EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION:Programs

• Program structure, components, design & procedures

• Practices related to interactions with families served

• Funding of program• Supervision, staff

development, & training• Pertinent certifications &

licensures

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EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION:Programs

• Annual program work plan & long-range plans for the program

• Record-keeping

• Evaluation & reporting

• Use of advisory groups

• Cooperative & collaborative relationships with other programs & groups

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EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION:Sound Program Structure, Design, & Practices

• Program activities reflect the beliefs & incorporate effective practice standards for promotion/prevention programs

• Family support principles are modeled in all program activities – planning, governance, & administration

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EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION:Sound Program Structure, Design, & Practices

• Design, procedures, & timeframes for implementation are documented & understandable to staff & families

• Program manuals reflect concepts, practices, & administrative standards of the program

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EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION:Committed, Caring Staff

• Quality of staff & their ability to interact effectively with families & other professionals is key

• Staff & families work together in relationships based on equality & mutual respect

• Staff are warm, empathetic, effective listeners, & use a strength-based approach

• Adequate staff training & supervision is provided

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EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION:Data Collection & Dissemination

• Service levels & outcomes are collected & reported to staff, Board, & families, & community

• Relevant data is gathered at all stages from diverse sources

• Staff are trained in record-keeping & report preparation

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EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION:Data Collection & Documentation• Intake data:

– Source of referral– Family structure &

membership– Major strengths– Major concerns/issues– Available resources &

sources of support– Voluntary nature of

participation

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EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION:Data Collection & Documentation

• Service summary data:– Frequency & intensity

of service(s) provided over time

– #s of families receiving services & supports

– Types of services provided

– Information on who is providing services

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EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION:Data Collection & Documentation• Descriptive Data:

– Length of time of service

– Level of family’s participation

– Extent of goals achieved

– Reason for termination of services

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EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION:Outcomes Measures & Evaluation

• Use of quantitative & qualitative data to evaluate program effectiveness & accomplishment of desired outcomes

• Identify changes in circumstances, knowledge, skill, attitudes, behaviors

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EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION:Outcome Measures & Evaluation• Evaluation tools are:

– Relevant to program

– Relevant to families

– Relevant to characteristics of effective research (reliability & validity)

– Relevant to current parenting norms

– Relevant to staff skill sets

– Relevant to fiscal constraints of agency

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EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION:Outcome Measures & Evaluation

• Strongest evaluations:– Random assignment of

participants– Large enough sample size– Short & long-term results– Behaviors not just attitudes

or beliefs– Proper statistical analyses– Publish positive & negative

results– Includes replication of

successful programs– Uses independent evaluators

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EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION:Outcome Measures & Evaluation

• Evaluate benefits gained by families:– Evidence of more effective

parenting knowledge, attitudes, skills, behaviors

– Evidence of ability to cope with stresses

– Improved parent-child communication or bonding

– Enhanced ability to care for child(ren)’s physical & developmental needs

– Increased social supports & decreased risk indicators

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EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION:Adequate Funding & Long Range Plan

• Stable & long-term funding is available for ongoing program implementation

• Elements include:– Financial stability– Annual & long-term plans

for implementation, responding to family feedback, & addressing resource needs

– Meet accreditation, licensure & tax-exempt requirements as needed

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EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION:Collaboration with Families & Communities

• Advisory groups, collaborations, & input foster family & community involvement

• Families & communities are involved in all program activities: planning, governance, administration, & evaluation

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EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION:Collaboration with Families & Communities

• The engagement & support of families & communities is key to sustaining & funding family support programs

• Participation ideas:– Focus groups– Family/community surveys– Follow-up questionnaires– Advisory groups– Participation of families &

community representatives on boards of directors

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ASSESSING EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION

• Does the program have sound structure, design, & practices?– Is the agency conducting

the program strong & stable, as evidenced by past success?

– Does the agency have documented program, management, & fiscal procedures in place?

– Are timeframes written & realistic?

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ASSESSING EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION

– Does the program incorporate critical beliefs & effective practices?

– Does the program follow an established & researched model?

– Is the program a good fit for the intended targeted population (families & community)?

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ASSESSING EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION

• Does the program have committed, caring staff?– Are direct service staff

caring, empathetic, sensitive, and dedicated?

– Are staff strong, credible, experienced, culturally-competent & credentialed?

– Are adequate training & supervision provided at the onset & ongoing?

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ASSESSING EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION

• Does the program have adequate data collection & documentation?– Are record-keeping

documents in place & ready for use in a timely manner?

– Is the infrastructure adequate to manage data collection & preparation of reports?

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ASSESSING EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION

• Does the program measure outcomes & conduct evaluations?– Are well-defined & quantified

levels of service routinely recorded?

– Are relevant outcomes measured?– Is there a process in place for

routine analysis of data on outcomes?

– Are evaluations shared with staff, Board, families & communities?

– Are evaluations used to improve services?

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ASSESSING EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION

• Does the program have adequate funding & long-range plans?– Is the anticipated funding in

line with the long-range plans?

– Are adequate funds available for current & long-term provision of effective services?

– Are long-term plans realistic & in line with family & community needs?

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ASSESSING EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION

• Do programs involve families & communities as equal partners & collaborators?– Is family/community

involvement evident through the use of advisory groups, family feedback surveys, focus groups, &/or other means?

– Is continued involvement by families & community members welcomed & used?

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Family Strengthening & Support:

Critical for Child Welfare• The most effective way

to keep our children safe & healthy is to ensure that their families are strong from the start.

• The most effective intervention is promotion & prevention.