Policies that Support Family Well-being
An important aspect of community work to strengthen families is the development and adoption of policies at multiple levels that are meant to support families and promote the healthy development of children. Family-friendly workplaces, paid family leave, promoting the voices of fathers, family preservation in child welfare and ensuring access to needed services are all examples of ideas that could have associated policies. At the national level, the Center for the Study of Social Policy and the Children’s Trust Fund Alliance advocate for policies across family-serving systems that support families to build protective factors.
In Pennsylvania, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) co-chairs the Strengthening Families™ Leadership Team. The Pennsylvania Children’s Trust Fund, which is administered through OCDEL, provides funding for Strengthening Families™ work and has incorporated the Strengthening Families™ Protective Factors Framework (SFPF) into its grant-making. OCDEL also incorporates the SFPF into its Family Support programs including home visiting, family centers and parent education. The Strengthening Families™ approach has also been incorporated into the Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards and the quality rating and improvements system, Keystone STARS.
Resources for Policy Advocacy
- Thriving PA is a campaign focused on ensuring that Pennsylvania families have access to quality perinatal and child health services.
- Childhood Begins at Home is an initiative of Early Learning PA that focuses on increasing access to evidence-based home visiting.