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Levers for Change

A new approach to child abuse and neglect prevention that focuses on families' protective factors requires more than developing a model or implementing a new program. Child welfare professionals need new strategies that can enhance current programs, services, and systems to support and work with children and families.

"Levers for change" are five high-level approaches to initiate sweeping and attainable changes in how we support communities and families. The goal is to strengthen families so they are better able to provide children with safe and happy childhoods. Below are the five levers for change and relevant resources available on the Information Gateway website.

• Parent partnerships
• Infrastructure changes
• Professional development
• Family strengthening child welfare practice
• Cross-systems integration

	Strengthening Families Through Early Care and Education Center for the Study of Social Policy Explains what programs involved in the Strengthening Families initiative are doing to build levers for change.

Parent partnerships

• Preventing child abuse & neglect: Partnering with parents

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Infrastructure changes

• Systemwide: Service improvement/systems reform - Child welfare reform - Child protective services and prevention reform

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Professional development

• Systemwide: Training - Core/foundation training for caseworkers - Child abuse prevention
• Systemwide: Workforce - Retention - Professional development

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Family strengthening child welfare practice

• Family-centered practice

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Cross-systems integration

• Preventing child abuse & neglect: Collaborations and partnerships
• Systemwide: Interagency collaboration

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Updated on April 3, 2009