Protective Factors Framework

A framework for prevention focuses not only on identifying protective factors but also on better understanding how those factors may contribute to or explain positive outcomes for children, families, and communities. The following resources offer examples of a protective factors framework around child welfare systems. They also provide examples of other frameworks from related fields, such as mental health and human development, which may aid in the development of a framework that can be used across programs and disciplines.

Protective Factors Framework in Child Welfare Systems

Child Welfare—Early Education Partnerships to Expand Protective Factors for Children with Child Welfare Involvement
Child Information Gateway (2015)
Summarizes key activities of agencies seeking to maximize the identification, enrollment, attendance, and supports for children in foster care or under the supervision of child welfare services, aged 0 to 5, into comprehensive high-quality early care and education services. This resource provides summary information and connects to the final evaluation reports of each individual programs.

Infusing Protective Factors for Children in Foster Care
Griffin, McEwen, Samuels, Suggs, Redd, & McClelland
Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 34(1), 2011
Reviews research on the relationship between risk behaviors and protective factors of traumatized youth, looks at adapting treatment and evidence-based early intervention practices to local child welfare settings, and presents a review of how State and local plans have been influenced by Federal policies. The article includes a case study from Illinois.

Introduction of the Center for the Study of Social Policy's Youth Thrive Framework [Webinar]
Capacity Building Center for States (2016)
Explores the Youth Thrive Protective and Promotive Factors Framework, which is designed to support agencies in their efforts to help youth achieve healthy development and well-being as well as reduce the impact of negative life experiences, including toxic stress and trauma. This webinar includes jurisdiction-specific experiences from agencies across the country that use the framework as a lens for rethinking policies, practices, training, and programming.

Progress Toward a Prevention Perspective (PDF - 128 KB)
Stagner & Lansing (2009)
Future of Children, 19(2)
Proposes investment-prevention as a new framework for preventing child abuse and neglect that focuses on strengthening protective factors and building family and social networks to reinforce the ability of parents to care for their children.

Protective Capacities and Protective Factors: Common Ground for Protecting Child and Strengthening Families [Webinar]
Capacity Building Center for States (2017)
Discusses both the protective capacities and the protective factors frameworks and explores how to use them together to create stronger safety assessments and sharpened prevention focus in child welfare practice. A free login is required to access this webinar.

Protective Factors and Protective Capacities: Common Ground for Protecting Children and Strengthening Families [Infographic] (PDF - 233 KB)
Capacity Building Center for States (2016)
Describes the protective capacities framework and the protective factors framework, both of which are used by child welfare practitioners to assess, intervene, and serve families as well as explores the common ground the frameworks share to help strengthen consistency in services for families.

Promoting Protective Factors for Children and Youth in Foster Care: A Guide for Practitioners
Series Title Factsheets
Author(s)
Development Services Group, Inc.; Child Welfare Information Gateway
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Year Published 2015
Presents information from a review of current research linking protective factors to well-being for children and youth in and transitioning out of foster care. Topics include individual skills and capacities that can improve the well-being of children and youth in foster care, creating a community that supports the well-being of children and youth in care, strategies for practitioners, and resources for more information. This factsheet is part of a series of five factsheets for practitioners exploring the importance of protective factors in working with in-risk populations served by the Administration on Children Youth and Families.
Promoting Protective Factors for Children Exposed to Domestic Violence: A Guide for Practitioners
Series Title Factsheets
Author(s)
Development Services Group, Inc.; Child Welfare Information Gateway
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Year Published 2015
Presents information from a review of current research linking protective factors to well-being for children exposed to domestic violence. Topics include individual skills and capacities that can improve the well-being of children exposed to violence; how parents, guardians, and others can contribute to the well-being of these children; creating supportive communities; and strategies for practitioners. This publication is part of a series of five factsheets for practitioners exploring the importance of protective factors in working with in-risk populations served by the Administration on Children, Youth and Families.
Promoting Protective Factors for In-Risk Families and Youth: A Guide for Practitioners
Series Title Factsheets
Author(s)
Development Services Group, Inc.; Child Welfare Information Gateway
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Year Published 2015
Presents information from a review of current research linking protective factors to well-being for the five in-risk populations served by the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF): children exposed to domestic violence, homeless and runaway youth, pregnant and parenting teens, victims of child abuse and neglect, and youth in and aging out of foster care. Topics include individual skills and capacities that can improve the well-being of children and youth; how parents, guardians, and others can contribute to the well-being of these children; and strategies for practitioners. A model framework for organizing and applying protective factors is included, as well as a table listing specific protective factors for ACYF populations by level of influence. This publication is part of a series of five factsheets for practitioners exploring the importance of protective factors in working with in-risk populations served by ACYF.
Promoting Protective Factors for Pregnant and Parenting Teens: A Guide for Practitioners
Series Title Factsheets
Author(s)
Development Services Group, Inc.; Child Welfare Information Gateway
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Year Published 2015
Presents information from a review of current research on specific protective factors that carry moderate or strong association with improved well-being for pregnant and parenting teens. Topics include individual skills and capacities that can improve the well-being of teens who are pregnant and/or parenting; how parents, guardians, friends, and others can contribute to the well-being of these teens; creating supportive communities; and strategies for practitioners. This publication is part of a series of five factsheets for practitioners exploring the importance of protective factors in working with in-risk populations served by the Administration on Children, Youth and Families.
Promoting Protective Factors for Victims of Child Abuse and Neglect: A Guide for Practitioners
Series Title Factsheets
Author(s)
Development Services Group, Inc.; Child Welfare Information Gateway
Availability View
Download (PDF - 234KB)
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Year Published 2015
Presents information from a review of current research on specific protective factors that carry moderate or strong association with improved well-being for victims of child abuse and neglect. Topics include individual skills and capacities that can improve the well-being of children who have been abused or neglected; how parents, guardians, friends, and other adults can contribute to the well-being of these children and youth; strategies for practitioners; and resources for more information. This publication is part of a series of five factsheets for practitioners exploring the importance of protective factors in working with in-risk populations served by the Administration on Children, Youth and Families.

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Protective Factors Framework in Related Fields

A Life Course Approach Resource Guide
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health
Identifies how the interplay of risk and protective factors such as socioeconomic status, toxic environmental exposures, health behaviors, stress, and nutrition influence health throughout a lifetime. This website provides webinars, policy briefs, factsheets, lectures, toolkits, and more to foster partnerships to improve individuals' and families' health and well-being.

Preventing Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Against Women: Taking Action and Generating Evidence
World Health Organization (2010)
Provides a framework for analyzing risk and protective factors of intimate partner and sexual violence as well as for developing programs and policies for prevention. Chapter three discusses the implementation of prevention strategies to mitigate violent perpetration and victimization throughout the life course.

Strengthening Families
Center for the Study of Social Policy (2016)
Describes the Strengthening Families Initiative, a national resource focused on helping families, programs, and communities create and maintain five key protective factors. State profiles detail the Strengthening Families implementation efforts on a State level.

The Strengthening Families Approach and Protective Factors Framework: Branching Out and Reaching Deeper (PDF - 1,116 KB)
Browne (2014)
Center for the Study of Social Policy
Provides a synthesis of the ideas and research from the neurobiological, behavioral, and social sciences that further inform the evidence base of the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) Strengthening Families Approach and Protective Factors Framework. This synthesis reflects CSSP’s theory of change, which supports the need to work in all domains of the social ecology—individual, familial and relational, community, societal, and policy—in order to make a difference in the lives of families and children.

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