Community-Level Protective Factors

The Strengthening Families protective factors framework, developed by the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), has had a significant influence on how child- and family-serving programs operate and support healthy development and well-being. Many organizational partners and members of the Strengthening Families National Network are interested in looking beyond programs and services to apply a protective factors approach to transform communities, address root causes of adversity, and advance equity and social justice. Some states and localities have focused on broad, community-wide adoption of Strengthening Families, and are looking for more guidance on how best to implement that approach. Others are interested in ​a distinct “community protective factors” framework that focuses on community strengths which increase the likelihood that children and families will thrive and decrease the likelihood of child abuse and neglect.

In order to explore this interest, CSSP partnered with several organizations to develop, administer, and analyze the results of a survey designed to capture the various ways organizations approach community-level work​, as well as their viewpoints on community conditions that support children and families. Partners included the Center for the Prevention of Abuse and Neglect, Safe & Sound in San Francisco Colorado’s Office of Early Childhood, the Center for Public Partnerships & Research at the University of Kansas, and others.

Executive Summary: Community Conditions That Strengthen Families: Protective Factors Work at the Community Level

December 2020

Full Report: Community Conditions That Strengthen Families: Protective Factors Work at the Community Level

December 2020