About Us
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The Protective Factors
The Protective Factors are the foundation of the Strengthening Families approach and a cornerstone for family violence prevention. Extensive research supports the common sense notion that when these five Protective Factors are present and robust in a family, the likelihood of child abuse and neglect diminish.
Parental Resilience: The ability to cope and bounce back from all types of situations.
Social Connections: Friends, family members, neighbors, and other members of a community who provide emotional support and concrete assistance to parents.
Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development: Accurate information about raising young children and appropriate expectations for their behavior.
Concrete Support in Times of Need: Financial security to cover day-to-day expenses and unexpected costs that come up from time to time. Access to formal supports like TANF, Medicaid and informal supports from social networks.
Children’s Social and Emotional Development: A child’s ability to interact positively with others and communicate his or her emotions and needs effectively.
For more information about the Protective Factors, please visit the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP).