1. The Santa Barbara County
Partnership for Strengthening Families
OCTOBER 14,2015

2. Welcome & Introductions
GOALS for TODAY:
• Strengthen and build relationships
• Affirm the unifying principles of the Strengthening
Families Framework
• Deepen understanding of the Protective Factors
• Develop/Review the Work Plan
• Establish a leadership team for the Partnership

3. ICEBREAKER
3

4. 4
ROUND 3
• How do you make
amends when you
mess up in a
relationship?
ROUND 1
• What role does the
internet play in your
social connections?
ROUND 2
• What makes you feel
safe and respected in
a relationship?

5. PART 1: Overview of the Partnership
• Prevention makes sense
• Prevention is possible
• Strengthening Families is an effective approach
Context
• Interagency collaboration
• Strengthening Families framework at the center
• Tracking of outcomes
Approach
• Child Abuse Prevention Council (CAPC)
• Child Care Planning Council (CCPC)
• Network of Family Resource Centers (NFRC)
Partners
• Safe and nurturing communities
• A strong web of support for children and families
Vision

6. Desired Outcome What it looks like…
Strengthened families Families are supported, engaged and
empowered to be resilient, resourceful and
self-reliant
Optimal child development Effective interventions for trauma and toxic stress
Starting Kindergarten healthy and “ready to go”
Reduced incidence of
child abuse & neglect
Reduction of risk factors
Strengthening of protective factors
Help for families before abuse occurs
Outcomes

7. Approach
• Alignment across early care, family support and
prevention systems
• Unifying principles guide attitudes and worker
practices:
– A changed relationship with parents
– Focus on the protective factors all families need to thrive
• Collaboration for child abuse and neglect prevention
The Partnership for Strengthening Families

8. Shared Vision
• The Partnership for Strengthening Families
envisions:
– Safe and nurturing communities throughout Santa Barbara
County that value all children and their families;
– where families are supported, engaged and empowered
to be resilient, resourceful and self-reliant;
– where children are protected from adverse experiences,
and have equal access to high-quality care and early
learning

9. Partners
Child Abuse Prevention Council (CAPC)
Child Care Planning Council (CCPC)
Network of Family Resource Centers (NFRC)

10. Partners
Child Abuse Prevention Council
Focus cross-sector collaboration
Members providers of services including
prevention, intervention, and treatment
Child Welfare Services is a
necessary and reliable partner
Activities • raising community awareness
• professional development/training
• engaging parents as leaders
• April awareness campaign
• Child Abuse Prevention Academy
• Mandated Reporter training
• Leaders for Change
Engages • community partners
• parents
• current/future professionals
• Public & nonprofit
• Parents Forever
• Early care, health care, educators
Urgency • 4748 reports of suspected child abuse
• 2143 referrals to Differential Response
CAC and CALM provided intensive
services to 1100 high risk families

11. CAPC Role in the Partnership
• Subject matter experts on child abuse & neglect
• Knowledge of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES),
trauma-informed care, and specialized services
• Cross-sector outreach to support strong families

12. CAPC Projects that Promote Strong
Families
• Parent Leadership Development
• Parent Cafés
• Child Abuse Prevention Academy
• Child Abuse Prevention Month
• California Strengthening Families Roundtable

13. Partners
Child Care Planning Council
Focus early care and education
Members • parents
• early care providers
• early care & education professors
• representatives of county organizations
Organizations represented include
county government, First 5, and
Children’s Resource & Referral
Activities • needs assessment and local priorities
• promotes high quality care
• shares expertise on child development
• Countywide Strategic Plan for
Early Care & Education
• Child Development Conference
• Accredited Centers Tour
Engages parents, providers, and partners to ensure
the developmental needs of all children
are met
Urgency only 53% of children needing care are
placed in licensed programs
19,403 spaces needed…
10,290 spaces available

14. CCPC Role in the Partnership
• Champion for strengthening families with child
well-being at the center
• Subject matter experts on child development and
children’s social & emotional learning
• Child-centered partnerships that support strong
families

15. CCPC Projects that Promote Strong
Families
• Strategic Plan for Early Care and Education
• Promoting inclusion
• Center for Social and Emotional Foundations for Early
Learning Training (CSEFEL)
• Early Care & Education Leadership Project
– Reflective Practice & Learning Stories
• Workforce development

16. Partners
Network of Family Resource Centers
Focus strength-based family support services
Members community-based family support
organizations located countywide
Supported by First 5. Members
represent 12 agencies covering all
parts of the county.
Activities • promote quality, family-centered practices
• staff development and support
• prevention, early intervention, and
family empowerment
FRCs provide a unique approach
to services and support, e.g.:
• parent education
• help with basic needs
• advocacy for social change
Engages • family support workers
• parents and children
• government/community partners
Comprehensive training and
support for FRC directors ,front-
line staff and community partners
Urgency • 1 in 5 children living in poverty in 2010
• 162 referrals from Differential Response
• Families in-crisis or at-risk
• 7500+ families accessed services
• 935 parents in parenting classes
• 990 case-managed families

17. 1. Inclusion Of
Diverse
Populations
3. Strength
Based Approach
In Service
Delivery
4. Focus on
Prevention &
Long Term
Growth
7 Key Components For Effective FRC’s
2. Strong
Collaboration
With Families
Adapted from Colorado Family Resource Association

18. 5. Community
Involvement
6. Coordination Of
Multiple Services
7. High Quality Staff,
Training and Coaching
7 Key Components For Effective FRC’s
Adapted from Colorado Family Resource Association

19. NFRC Role in the Partnership
• Experts on community resources & working with families
• Champions for quality early care & education
• Linkages and referrals for families
• Community partnerships that support strong families

20. NFRC Projects that Promote Strong
Families
• Standards of Quality
• Training and technical assistance
• Family Development Matrix
• Parenting classes
• Supporting Fathers Initiative

21. Quality practices (strategies) for front-line workers
Value and support parents
Recognize and respond to crises
Link families to services & opportunities
Facilitate friendships & mutual support
Strengthen parenting
Further children’s social & emotional development
Observe & respond to early warning signs of abuse & neglect
Unifying Principles

22. PART 2:
Understanding the Protective Factors
• Overview of the
Strengthening Families
Approach
• Everyday Actions that build
Protective Factors
• Parent Café:
– Parental Resilience
– Social & Emotional
Competence of Children

23. Building
protective and
promotive
factors, not
just reducing
risk
An approach
not a model,
program or
curriculum
A changed
relationship
with parents
Aligning
practice
with
developmental
science
The Four Big Ideas Behind Strengthening Families Approach
Families gain what they need to be successful when key protective
factors are robust in their lives and communities

24. Social Connections
What it looks like:
• Multiple friendships and supportive
relationships with others
• Feeling respected and appreciated
• Accepting help from others, and
giving help to others
• Skills for establishing and maintaining
connections
Positive relationships that provide emotional, informational,
instrumental and spiritual support

25. Social Connections
Everyday actions:
• Help families value, build, sustain
and use social connections
• Create an inclusive environment
• Facilitate mutual support
• Promote engagement in the
community and participation in
community activities

26. Knowledge of Parenting & Child Development
What it looks like:
• Nurturing parenting behavior
• Appropriate developmental expectations
• Ability to create a developmentally
supportive environment for child
• Positive discipline techniques; ability to
effectively manage child behavior
• Recognizing and responding to your child’s
specific needs
Understanding child development and parenting strategies that support
physical, cognitive, language, social and emotional development

27. Everyday actions:
• Model developmentally appropriate
interactions with children
• Provide information and resources on
parenting and child development
• Encourage parents to observe, ask
questions, explore parenting issues
and try out new strategies
• Address parenting issues from a
strength-based perspective when
behavior is happening
Knowledge of Parenting & Child Development

28. Concrete Support In Times of Need
What it looks like:
• Seeking and receiving support when
needed
• Knowing what services are available
and how to access them
• Adequate financial security; basic
needs being met
• Persistence
• Advocating effectively for self and
child to receive necessary help
Access to concrete support and services that address a family’s needs
and help minimize stress caused by challenges

29. Concrete Support in Times of Need
Everyday actions:
• Respond immediately when families are
in crisis
• Provide information and connections to
services in the community
• Help families to develop skills and tools
they need to identify their needs and
connect to supports

30. Parental Resilience
Resilience to general life stress
• Hope, optimism, self confidence
• Problem solving skills
• Self care and willingness to ask
for help
• Ability to manage negative
emotions
Managing stress and functioning well when faced with
challenges, adversity and trauma
Resilience to parenting stress
• Not allowing stress to
interfere with nurturing
• Positive attitude about
parenting and child
What it looks like:

31. Everyday actions:
• Demonstrate that parents are valued
• Honor each family’s race, language, culture,
history and approach to parenting
• Encourage parents to manage stress
effectively
• Support parents as decision-makers and help
build decision-making and leadership skills
• Help parents understand how to buffer their
child during stressful times
Parental Resilience

32. Social & Emotional Competence of Children
For the parent:
• Warm and consistent responses
• A strong and secure attachment
between parent and child
• Encouraging and reinforcing
social skills and self-expression
• Setting limits
Family and child interactions that help children develop the ability to
communicate clearly, recognize and regulate their emotions and establish
and maintain relationships
For the child:
• Age appropriate self-
regulation
• Ability to form and maintain
relationships with others
• Positive interactions with others
• Effective communication
What it looks like:

33. Social & Emotional Competence of Children
Everyday actions:
• Help parents foster their child’s
social & emotional development
• Model nurturing care
• Include social and emotional learning
activities in programming
• Help children develop a positive
cultural identity and teach them skills for
interacting in a diverse society
• Respond proactively when social or
emotional needs require extra support

34. PARENT CAFÉ
AGREEMENTS
• Speak from your own
experience
• Listen attentively
• No judgments
• No advice
• Maintain
confidentiality
• Put away phones
34

35. PART 3: Network Highlights
• Choose a Council/Network project
• Discuss:
–Which Protective Factors are strengthened
and how?
–What are the opportunities for sharing this
project with partner councils/networks?

36. PART 4: Finalizing the Work Plan
• Next steps:
– Identify Leadership Team
– Discuss opportunities for being mutually supportive
of one another
– Agree to work together to promote Child Abuse
Prevention Month and the Week of the Young Child

37. Leadership Team
• Strengthening families champions
• Strong and active participation
• Communication liaison
• Meet quarterly
• Take turns facilitating
• Keep focus on outcomes for Strengthening Families

38. For More Information on the Partnerships
for Strengthening Families:
• Child Abuse Prevention Council
– Barb Finch Children & Adult Network Director
– Santa Barbara County Department of Social Services
– b.finch@sbcsocialserv.org or via phone 805-681-4678
• Network Of Family Resource Center
– Teressa Johnes, Program Officer
– First 5 Santa Barbara County
– trjohnes@First5SBC.org or via phone 805-739-8741
• Child Care Planning Council
– Joyce Stone, Program Manager
– Santa Barbara Child Care Planning Council
– sbcccpc@sbceo.org or via phone 805-964-4710 X 4473

39. 39