Strengthening Families™ is a research-informed approach to increase family strengths, enhance child development and reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect.
Youth Thrive ™ is both a research-informed framework based on a synthesis of research on positive youth development, resilience, neuroscience, stress and impact of trauma on brain development and the name of the Center for the Study of Social Policy’s national initiative to improve the well-being outcomes of all youth (ages 9-26), with a particular focus on youth in, or transitioning from, foster care.
The Four Big Ideas Behind Strengthening Families & Youth Thrive
- Building protective and promotive factors, not just reducing risk
- An approach – not a model, a program or a curriculum
- A changed relationship with parents
- Aligning practice with developmental science
Five Protective Factors
What are protective factors? According to the Strengthening Families Framework, PROTECTIVE FACTORS are characteristics or strengths of individuals, families, and communities to promote positive wellbeing and healthy development to achieve the best outcomes for children, youth, and families. These factors are similar to those found in the Youth Thrive Framework:
To find out more about Strengthening Families in Vermont, visit the Strengthening Families State Profile for Vermont here.
To find out more about how DMH is supporting children, youth, and families, please visit the Children, Youth, and Families page here.