During a family crisis or investigation, it can be hard to believe you have strengths. Investigations, by their nature, make parents feel attacked and ashamed. But all parents have strengths, and being able to show investigators what’s positive about you and your family is incredibly important. Investigators need a full picture of families’ “protective factors,” because those factors have been shown to help keep children safe.
Q: How can parents show their “protective factors” to an investigator?
Q: How can child protective investigators use protective factors in their work?
Q: What if you aren’t strong in some of the protective factors? How can you start building them?
The 5 Protective Factors
Below are qualities in parents that have been shown to help keep children safe:
- Resilience: Most simply, this means that when you hit tough times, you are able to bounce back and keep moving forward.
- Social Connections: Research shows that it’s easier to handle parenting challenges when you have positive relationships with family, friends and others.
- Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development: There’s no such thing as a perfect parent, but when you have a basic understanding of what to expect from early childhood through the teenage years, you’re less likely to get frustrated.
- Concrete Support in Times of Need: All families go through tough times. Knowing where to get help—from food, clothing and shelter to domestic violence or drug treatment—can help you rebound.
- Building Children’s Social and Emotional Competence: When parents are able to help their children with their emotions, children become better able to manage their own feelings and build healthy relationships.
To read the entire interview by Bevanjae Kelley and Nancy Fortunato with Corey Best, a parent partner in Flagler and Volusia Counties, Florida, and a member of the Birth Parent National Network, and Kevin Jackson, Kyla Clarke and Sarah Houser, Division of Child and Family Services, in Salt Lake City, Utah, please click here.
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