Kentucky Strengthening Families (KYSF) Initiative represents a multi-disciplinary partnership of over 20 national, state and local organizations in the public and private sectors dedicated to embedding six research-based Protective Factors into services and supports for children and their families. Protective Factors are conditions in families and communities that present, help increase the health and well-being of families and children, and reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect.
All families experience times of stress and research demonstrates that children thrive in environments where families have the tools and support to manage those challenges. Kentucky families can benefit from comprehensive efforts to build Protective Factors. Supporting families is a key strategy for promoting school readiness and preventing child abuse and neglect.
Kentucky Strengthening Families launched in 2015 and has continued to grow and develop over the past decade. This work is derived from the national Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework. The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) is our national partner who created this framework to help people in families overcome the impact of adversity. Kentucky took this Framework and adapted the concepts to best serve families and children in Kentucky. Under the umbrella visual, you see the amazing programs that make up the Kentucky Strengthening Families Initiative.
Kentucky Strengthening Families Programs:
Family Thrive incorporates research that looks to improve healthy development and well-being of children, youth and families in their communities. The components of Family Thrive integrate Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences (PACEs), Guiding Premises or best practices, and Protective Factors to help professionals shift from a deficit-focused lens to a more strength-based positive focus by making small but significant changes.
Connect the Dots explores strategies that support the development of social and emotional competence in children. Many of the evidenced-based and research-informed practices reviewed in this training can also be modified to best support older children as well. The four areas or “dots" that are included in the training are ensuring supportive environments, encouraging positive behaviors, emphasizing positive discipline and embracing unique strengths.
Parent Cafés are a safe, welcoming and inviting environment for caregivers to build connections through conversations and develop relationships. Parent Cafés are designed around resiliency, incorporating Protective Factors and adhering to a strength-based philosophy. This is an opportunity for caregivers to listen and learn from each other in a supportive atmosphere.
Provider Cafés are structured similarly to Parent Cafés for professionals to have a way to build connections through conversations and develop relationships with each other. The Cafés are designed around promoting resiliency, incorporating Protective Factors and adhering to a strength-based philosophy. This is an opportunity for professionals to listen and learn from colleagues in a supportive atmosphere.
Youth Thrive is a research-based framework to teach professionals how to improve healthy development and well-being in young people, ages nine to twenty-six. The components of Youth Thrive utilizes a strength-based approach to explore the impact of Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences (PACEs), trauma, Guiding Premises and Protective Factors by making small but significant changes in everyday actions to strengthen young people.
Youth Cafés encourage young people to grow and build relationships with others through discussions around Protective Factors. This is an opportunity for young people to learn from each other in a fun and supportive atmosphere utilizing conversation card decks that center around Protective Factors to increase leadership, confidence and resilience.
Kentucky Strengthening Families Goal:
Kentucky is strengthening families by enhancing Protective Factors that reduce the impact of adversity and increase the well-being of children and families through family, community and state partnerships.
Kentucky Strengthening Families Vision:
All Kentucky children are healthy, safe and prepared to succeed, in school and in life, through families that are resilient, supported and strengthened within their communities.
Main Goals of KYSF Initiative:
- Collaborate with state systems to embed Protective Factors into practices, policies and guidelines.
- Support programs in aligning their practices with developmental science to enhance responsiveness to trauma and promote the development of Protective Factors, rather than solely focusing on risk reduction.
- Helping individuals transform their relationships with caregivers/youth by working together to achieve positive outcomes.
- Evidence-informed approach that can be adapted to many different settings and service delivery models.