Key Protective Factors
The Protective Factors promote the health and well-being of children and families and reduce the chances of child abuse
and neglect:
- Nurturing and attachment – Providing affection, respectful communication, listening, consistent expectations, and safe opportunities that promote independence and encourage curiosity about the world
- Knowledge of parenting for child and youth development – Understanding child development and parenting strategies that support physical, cognitive, language, social and emotional development
- Parental resilience – Managing stress and functioning well when faced with challenges, adversity, and trauma
- Social connections – Positive relationships that provide emotional, informational, instrumental, and spiritual support
- Concrete supports for parents – Access to concrete support and services that address a family’s needs and help minimum stress caused by challenges
- Social and emotional competence of children – Family and child interactions can help children develop the ability to communicate clearly, recognize and regulate their emotions and establish and maintain relationships
Colorado Strengthening Families Network
FRCA co-hosts the Colorado Strengthening Families Network, a quarterly online learning community for professionals across sectors to stay on top of new research and best practices related to the protective factors.
