| Strengthening Families
What is Strengthening Families Alaska?
Strengthening Families is a new, proven, cost-effective strategy to prevent child abuse and neglect. The strategy involves early childhood centers working to build protective factors around children by supporting family strengths and resiliency. In 2005, Alaska was one of seven states to be selected by the Center for the Study of Social Policy to pilot this approach. The Alaska Strengthening Families Leadership Team is now working to expand the use of this model across the state.
What is special about this approach?
With funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Center for the Study for Social Policy (CSSP) set out to develop a strategic, feasible approach to child abuse prevention that would be systematic and national, reach large numbers of very young children, and have impact long before abuse or neglect occurred. Their research revealed that proven, positive results take place when early childhood centers work to strengthen five protective factors known to be correlated with child abuse and neglect.
The Center for the Study of Social Policy also identified key strategies used by exemplary early care and education programs to build protective factors.
How Early Childhood programs contribute to prevention of child abuse and neglect
Alaska's Strengthening Families Leadership Team Includes:
- Office of Children's Services, Department of Health and Social Services
- Child Care Program, Division of Public Assistance, Department of Health and Social Services
- Teaching and Learning Support, Department of Education and Early Development
- Women, Children and Family Health, Division of Public Health, Department of Health and Social Services
- Alaska Children's Trust
- Resource Center for Parents and Children, Prevention of Child Abuse America Affiliate
- Child Care Resource and Referral Network
- System for Early Education and Development (SEED), University of Alaska Southeast
- Alaska Association for the Education of Young Children
- United Way of Anchorage
- Best Beginnings, Early Learning Council
- Parent Representatives
|
Strengthening Families