1. Implementing SFI in your ECE Program
Developed by the
Center for the Study of Social Policy
Funded by the
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation

2. reached large numbers of very young children, and
In the beginning, we were seeking a strategic, feasible approach to child abuse prevention that was:
systematic,
national,
reached large numbers of very young children, and
would have impact long before abuse or neglect occurred

3. Our hypothesis was that early care and education programs could be central because they offer:
Daily contact with parents and children
Uniquely intimate relationship with families
A universal approach of positive encouragement and education for families
An early warning and response system at the first sign of trouble

4. The CSSP Process Step 1: Search the evidence to find out what factors really reduce child abuse and neglect Step 2: Explore the connection between factors that prevent child abuse and neglect and what quality early childhood programs do to build them Step 3: Identify programs that build the factors and learn how they do it
Step 1: Review of existing literature to identify protective factors correlated with CAN prevent and that early care and education settings have a unique capacity to build. National consultation process to discuss the hypothesis with experts and practitioners in the field. This consultation process included over 100 participants including researchers, ECE and CAN policy makers, professional groups, practitioners, etc.
Step 2: This was a two year research model that involved national nomination of exemplary early care and education programs building the protective factors. Close to 100 programs were studied using surveys, site visits, observations, interviews. All research tools were keyed to the protective factors.
Step 3: Out of this study 22 exemplary programs were chosen and their protective factor building practice documented.

5. How Early Childhood programs contribute to prevention of child abuse and neglect
Protective Factors
Quality Early Care & Education:
Parental Resilience
Program Strategies That:
????
Social Connections
Knowledge of Parenting
& Child Development
CAN
Prevention
Concrete supports in
times of need
Social and Emotional
Competence of Children

6. Parental Resilience
Psychological health; parents feel supported and able to solve problems; can develop trusting relationships with others and reach out for help
Parents who did not have positive childhood experiences or who are in troubling circumstances need extra support and trustworthy relationships
The issue is not that families are experiencing stress, all families do—the question is: when a family experiences stress how do they respond. Resilience is about responding to stressful situations in productive ways.
For parents who have had difficult childhoods getting to resiliency in part is about being “re-parented. Internalizing new messages that they are capable, that when bad things happen others will support and help them, that things are fixable.
One thing ECE programs can provide is “consistency of caring.” Using the daily contact to send consistent messages that the parent is valued, that staff is concerned about them, that there is support available.

7. Social Connections
Relationships with extended family, friends, co-workers, other parents with children of similar ages
Community norms
Mutual assistance networks: child care, emotional support, concrete help
Social isolation is strongly connected to CAN (and other issues we care about
For preventing CAN, it’s not just having social connections, but the quality of the connections especially:
Social networks that include positive norms about parenting
Connections that help families to access resources—e.g. a friend that will provide babysitting, or a listening ear
We all know that ECE prgs are a primary place where parents of young children meet and develop social networks with others
Programs can be intentional by:
Reaching out and connecting the most isolated parents to social activities at the center
Providing informal space for parents to “hang out” and structured activities that bring parents together
Blending social and parent education activities (to support positive norm building within the network)

8. Knowledge of parenting and child development
Basic information about how children develop
Basic techniques of helping children develop, dealing with challenging behaviors
Alternatives to parenting behaviors experienced as a child
Help with challenging children
Crucial for parents to have reasonable expectations of their child based on understanding of child development
Also need to have the knowledge to identify and flag developmental issues
Finally parents need alternative ways of responding to their children then simply the ones they learned from how they were parented (especially parents who were abused or neglected as children)
How ECE programs do it?
Providing ‘just in time” parent education—information to parents when an issue (e.g. biting) is happening—rather than within the schedule of a parent ed class.
Using observation as a strategy to model new behaviors or to support understanding of developmental issues.
Parent education is provided within the context of trust and the belief by the parent that the provider “knows their child”

9. Concrete Support Response to a crisis: food, shelter, clothing
Assistance with daily needs: health care, education, job opportunities
Services for parents: depression and other mental health issues, domestic violence, substance abuse;
Specialized services for children
Providing concrete supports is an important way of intervening before a crisis happens.
For the more interventive services (e.g. mental health, dv, substance abuse) the issue is often not only the lack of knowledge about the services but issues of stigma and lack of trust. ECE programs can leverage their trusting relationship with families to help families overcome barriers to accessing needed services.
Programs don’t need to provide all of these services themselves—much can be done through collaboration, and inviting community partners into the program to provide info about services.

10. Social Emotional Development
Connection between normal development and positive parent child interaction
Appropriate adult response to challenging behaviors, traumatic experiences or when development is not on track
What classroom learning sends home to families
Social emotional issues of young children becoming an increasing issue in early care and education setting.
Parents who have a child who exhibits challenging behavior can internalize messages that their child is bad, unlovable or uncontrollable. Providing adequate supports to these parents to help them develop coping behaviors and see positives in their child is important.
Huge impact of programs making a commitment not to kick out kids with troubling behaviors.
Also our study showed a big impact of programs like Second Step that helped kids to articulate their feelings on parents understanding of their children as “little people”—this was the number one response when parents were asked how their child’s participation in the program had effected their parenting.

11. In order to learn more about how the protective factors are implemented in early care and education programs we studied close to 100 programs, including 21 exemplary programs that received intensive two day site visits.

12. How Early Childhood programs contribute to prevention of child abuse and neglect
Protective Factors
Quality Early Care & Education:
Parental Resilience
Program Strategies That:
Facilitate friendships and mutual support
Strengthen parenting
Respond to family crises
Link families to services and opportunities
Value and support parents
Facilitate children’s social and emotional development
Observe and respond to early warning signs of child abuse or neglect
Social Connections
Knowledge of Parenting
& Child Development
CAN
Prevention
Concrete supports in
times of need
Social and Emotional
Competence of Children

13. Early Childhood Infrastructure
CAN
Prevention
Protective
Factors
Strategies
Program Components
Early Childhood Infrastructure

14. Early Childhood Infrastructure
CAN
Prevention
Parental Resilience
Social Connections
Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development
Concrete support in times of need
Social and Emotional Competence of children
Protective
Factors
Strategies
Program Components
Early Childhood Infrastructure

15. Early Childhood Infrastructure
Facilitate friendships and mutual support
Strengthen parenting
Respond to family crises
Help families get what they need
Value and support parents
Facilitate children’s social & emotional development
CAN
Prevention
Protective
Factors
Strategies
Program Components
Early Childhood Infrastructure

16. Early Childhood Infrastructure
CAN
Prevention
Mental health consultation
Parent education
Family support
Physical space
Home visiting
Social emotional programming
Protective
Factors
Strategies
Program Components
Early Childhood Infrastructure

17. Early Childhood Infrastructure
CAN
Prevention
Protective
Factors
Staff training and Support
Linkages with other agencies
Strong relationship with CW
Parent Involvement
Strategies
Program Components
Early Childhood Infrastructure

18. Social Emotional Strategies
Program elements
Family Support
Family Support Workers
Parenting Supports
Home Visiting
Social Emotional Strategies
Conflict resolution curricula
Arts programs
Diversity affirmation
Mental Health Consultation

19. Staffing Leadership that shares power Focus on Capacity Building
Clear parent leadership roles
Flexibility in staff roles
Decentralized management
Shared sense of mission
Focus on Capacity Building
Internal training and mentoring
Local hiring
Team based Approach
Team staffing
Regular meetings
Structured communication

20. Relationships Use of Space to welcome parents Outreach to Men
Observation Areas
Dedicated Parent Space
Outreach to Men
Strong relationship with child protection agency
Relationships with other agencies and services
Networks, collaboratives, partnerships

21. Parents Say:
“I don’t know how staff does it, but you know you can go to them with any issue and they’ll be professional and it will stay with them”
“I got referred to the program because I whacked my child. Before I used to beat her up like there was no tomorrow but now I don't.”
“I find strength from the unconditional support and non-threatening environment here.”

22. The Bottom Line
Using early childhood education to prevent child abuse is:
A bold and promising departure from conventional prevention strategies
Supported by both early childhood professionals and child abuse prevention advocates
More than a collection of good program components. Success hinges on the quality of relationships

23. I used to be argumentative and my grandbaby’s really calmed me down—its what she learns in the classroom that has made the difference

24. Early care and education programs can serve several critical roles for young parents: 
as a primary source of information and support for young families
as a gateway to outside services or supports such as health or mental health services, transportation, and even education, housing and jobs. 
as the key early warning system when families or children are in trouble.

25. “This has really helped me—my child is really hyper and they’ve taught me a lot of patience and how to handle it.”
“My sense that I have other people I can depend on here is great. That’s huge.”
“It really motivates the child to bring out the best in the parent”
“I’m learning new ways to set boundaries—it makes me go back home and behave differently with her (my daughter) to reinforce what they’re teaching.”

26. What your Program can do
Use the self-assessment to identify areas for practice enhancement
Build effective linkages with child welfare agencies and child abuse prevention advocates
Educate others on the role early care and education can play in child abuse and neglect prevention

27. “I didn’t realize how hard being a mom was
“I didn’t realize how hard being a mom was. Pat [the home visitor] was like a breath of fresh air—she gave me ideas for crafts and things that I could do with my baby. When I talk to mom’s in other county’s who don’t have this support I realize how lucky we are.”
Of all the encounters I’ve had since I’ve been [in this community] this is the place where I feel the most safe, the most comfortable and the most welcome.

28. Tools for Implementation www.cssp.org
Program guide book and self-assessment tools
Literature review (and ongoing links to relevant research)
Program write-ups
Paper on EC infrastructure
Newsletter
Handouts/slide shows/communication materials