Engaging Families in Family Support and Preservation Services

To engage and retain families in family support and preservation services, programs can implement a variety of outreach efforts to identify families who might not otherwise participate in such services. The success of outreach efforts depends on the program providers' ability to form community partnerships; target, educate, and engage families who can benefit from their services; and meet the needs and interests of these families in ways that will prove beneficial to them, their children, and the community.

The following resources describe efforts that engage families in family support and preservation services.

Building and Sustaining Collaborative Community Relationships (PDF - 648 KB)
Capacity Building Center for States (2017)
Highlights the importance of effective, ongoing collaboration between child welfare agencies and community-based partners to strengthen assessment and decision-making, increase understanding of a family’s needs, promote communication and information sharing across systems, and provide better overall support to children and families.

Community-Based Family Support: Exemplars With Implementation and Evaluation Strategies
Casey Family Programs (2016)
Focuses on the need for community-based initiatives and summarizes lessons learned from the design and implementation of current and past community-based support programs.

Live Well Communities
Live Well San Diego
Provides information on a program that engages the community to improve the health, financial strength, safety, and quality of life of children and families.  

Strengthening Families
Center for the Study of Social Policy
Describes a framework for increasing family strengths and enhancing child development by helping parents build protective factors in their lives and communities. The website offers resources for planning and implementation, community partnership development, research and evaluation, and more.