Home > The Role of Professional Child Care Providers in Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect > Appendix I: Family Support Strategies

The Role of Professional Child Care Providers in Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect
User Manual Series (2008)

Author(s):  Children's Bureau Karageorge, Kendall

Year Published:  2008

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You are in section: Table of Contents Preface Acknowledgments 1 - Purpose and Overview 2 - Recognizing Child Abuse or Neglect 3 - Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect 4 - Minimizing the Risk of Maltreatment in Child Care Programs 5 - Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect… 6 - Responding to Allegations of Child Maltreatment… 7 - Caring for Maltreated and At-Risk Children 8 - Supporting Parents Endnotes Appendix A - Glossary of Terms Appendix B - Resource Listings of Selected National Organizations Appendix C - State Telephone Numbers… Appendix D - Handouts for Parents Appendix E - Sample Report of Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect Appendix F - Risk Indicators: Touch Policy Appendix G - Risk Indicators: Developmental Expectations… Appendix H - Risk Indicators: Child Abuse Prevention Curriculum Appendix I - Family Support Strategies

Appendix I: Family Support Strategies¹

Child care providers can support families in building family strengths and in preventing child maltreatment by:

• Facilitating friendships and mutual support. Offer opportunities for parents to get to know each other, develop mutual support systems, and have roles at the center, as appropriate. This may include potlucks or volunteer opportunities.



• Strengthening parenting. Develop ways for parents to get support on parenting issues when they need it. Possibilities include tip sheets, provider-parent meetings, and resource libraries.



• Responding to family crises. Offer extra support to families when they need it, such as in times of illness, job loss, housing problems, or other stressors.



• Valuing and supporting parents. The relationship between parents and staff is essential to a program's ability to connect with parents. The support, training, and supervision of staff are essential to help them do this effectively.



• Facilitating children's social and emotional development. Some programs use curricula that specifically focus on helping children articulate their feelings and get along with others. When children bring home what they learn in the classroom, parents benefit as well.



• Observing and responding to early warning signs of child maltreatment. Train staff to observe children carefully and to respond at the first sign of difficulty. Early intervention can help ensure children are safe and that parents get the support and services they need.



• Making referrals to other services or professionals as needed. For example, suggest that parents speak to their child's doctor about any concerns, frustrations, or questions regarding their child's behavior or development or connect the family with community service providers.

¹U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. (2006). Safe children and healthy families are a shared responsibility: 2006 community resource packet [On-line]. Available: http://www.childwelfare.gov/preventing/pdfs/prev_packet_2006_en.pdf; Center for the Study of Social Policy. (2004). Protecting children by strengthening families: A guidebook for early childhood programs [On-line]. Available: http://www.cssp.org/uploadFiles/handbook.pdf. back

previous

You are in section: Table of Contents Preface Acknowledgments 1 - Purpose and Overview 2 - Recognizing Child Abuse or Neglect 3 - Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect 4 - Minimizing the Risk of Maltreatment in Child Care Programs 5 - Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect… 6 - Responding to Allegations of Child Maltreatment… 7 - Caring for Maltreated and At-Risk Children 8 - Supporting Parents Endnotes Appendix A - Glossary of Terms Appendix B - Resource Listings of Selected National Organizations Appendix C - State Telephone Numbers… Appendix D - Handouts for Parents Appendix E - Sample Report of Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect Appendix F - Risk Indicators: Touch Policy Appendix G - Risk Indicators: Developmental Expectations… Appendix H - Risk Indicators: Child Abuse Prevention Curriculum Appendix I - Family Support Strategies

This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information Gateway.

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Updated on October 9, 2009