Parent and Family Well-Being

The child welfare field has traditionally focused on providing services that address child and youth well-being. However, the well-being of parents and families strongly influences the well-being of children. When parents and families are equipped with the proper support and skills, they are better able to attend to their children’s needs and maintain healthy parent-child relationships. The resources on this page focus on the importance of parent and family well-being and interventions that promote it. 

Don't Forget the Families: The Missing Piece in America's Effort to Help All Children Succeed (PDF - 1,597 KB)
Pekel, Roehlkepartain, Syvertsen, & Scales (2015)
Presents the findings of a parenting study on developmental relationships and the contribution to child development and well-being across different types of families and circumstances. The study proposes six shifts that are needed to help recognize and engage families as important partners in nurturing and supporting children.

Family Support & Well-Being 
Head Start Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center
Provides resources and information to support families to become healthy, safe, and economically stable, including early care and education services, physical and mental health care, educational advancement opportunities, housing and food assistance, and more.

Intellectual Disability and Developmental Risk: Promoting Intervention to Improve Child and Family Well-Being (PDF - 148 KB)
Baker, Blacher, Crnic, McIntyre, & Neece (2018)
Child Development, 88(2)
Emphasizes emerging intervention strategies that focus on parent skill development and mindfulness activities to improve child and family well-being for families with children with intellectual disabilities. The article concludes with implications for child welfare practice.

Parenting Matters: Supporting Parents of Children Ages 0-8 (PDF - 4,014 KB)
Committee on Supporting the Parents of Young Children (2016)
Identifies parenting education, approaches, and practices associated with positive developmental outcomes in young children as well as widely used preventive interventions. This report offers recommendations to service providers across disciplines for effective programs and services for families.

Strengthening Families: Protective Factors Framework
Center for the Study of Social Policy (2017)
Characterizes the five protective factors at the foundation of the Strengthening Families initiative that have been shown to increase well-being outcomes for youth and families and to reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect. This webpage also includes action sheets (PDF - 345 KB) utilizing the protective factors for service providers supporting families.

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