The Research Behind
Strengthening Families
An Evidence Informed Approach
Traditional EBP
Model Tested by
RCT
Implementation w/
Fidelity
Strengthening
Families
Evidenceinformed
Approach
=
Results
Adaptive Practice
Distributive
Network
Adaptive Practice
Adaptive Practice
Adaptive Practice

Results
The Knowledge Building Process
Phase 1: Search the evidence to find out what factors
really reduce child abuse and neglect
Phase 2: Explore the connection between factors that
prevent child abuse and neglect and what quality early
childhood programs do to build them
Phase 3: Learn about policy and practice changes needed
to infuse the model statewide through a partnership
with 7 pilot states
Phase 4: Create a structure for continuous learning with a
network of implementing states
Phase 5: Support investments in continued research and
knowledge development
Phase I: Literature Review
Conducted by the Erikson Institute
Review of existing literature to identify which
protective factors were correlated with lower
rates of child abuse and neglect
Served to define not only which protective
factors but some of what we know about how to
build them
Phase I:Dialogue Sessions
•
•
•
•
•
•
CBFRS
Child Trends
CWLA
Family Support America
Free to Grow
Natl. Alliance of
Children’s Trust Funds
•
•
•
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NAEYC
NCCAN
NACCRRA
Natl. Child Care Assn
Prevent Child Abuse
America
• USA Child Care
• Zero to Three
Phase II: Learning from
exemplary program practice
Expert
Nomination
•Advisory Committee
•Head Start Collaboration
•Early Childhood Specialist
•Child Care Administrator
•Children’s Trust Fund lead
•CBFRS lead
•Other key informants
Program Info
Collection
•Survey
•Program summaries
•Brochures
•Calendars
•Evaluations
•Replication
Site Visit
•Director Interview
•Key Informant Interviews
•Parent Focus Group
•Staff Focus Groups
•Program Observation
Program
Write-ups
Implementation
Tools
Phase III: The Seven State Pilot
2 year partnership with states to identify policy
and practice changes needed to take SFI
statewide
Wide latitude on implementation strategies
United by a consistent set of hallmarks for
statewide implementation
Phase III: Hallmarks
More programs use the protective factors
framework
Parent leadership is demonstrated at all levels
Integration of Strengthening Families into Early
Care and Education initiatives in many settings
is evident
Early Care and Education and child welfare
services (CWS) build stronger, mutually
beneficial relationships
Documentation describes key decision points
and provides evidence that the “Hallmarks” are
being achieved
Phase IV: Continuous Learning
with a National Network
Members
• Create new tools
• Test strategies
• Share their
knowledge with
others through a
learning network
CSSP
• Provides technical
assistance
• Coordinates crosssite learning
• Captures lessons
learned
• Creates new tools
S tre n g th e n in g F a m ilie s N a tio n a l N e tw o rk
WA
ME
MT
ND
OR
V
MN
ID
T
SD
NY
WI
N
H
MA
MI
WY
RI
CT
PA
IA
NV
CA
NJ
NE
OH
IL
UT
DE
IN
WV
CO
MO
KS
MD
VA
KY
NC
AZ
TN
OK
NM
AR
SC
MS
TX
AK
AL
GA
LA
FL
HI
DC
Phase V: Knowledge Building
QIC-EC
On-line tools
Home-based child care study
Youth Thrive
Study of state implementation
AIM
Office on Child Abuse
and Neglect
Catherine Nolan, Director
Children’s Bureau
Melissa Brodowski,
Federal Project Officer for
the National QIC-EC
Research & Demonstration Projects
National Advisory
Committee
Darrell Armstrong
Brenda Donald
Bernie Dorsey
Jim Hmurovich
Annette Wisk Jacobi
Sandra Jimenez
Nadja Jones
Panu Lucier
Roxane Kaufman
Erwin McEwen
Suzanne Randolph
David Sanders
Lisbeth Schorr
Rizwan Shah
Sonia Velazquez
Fred Wulczyn
Literature Review
Deborah Daro,
Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago
National
Alliance of
Children’s
Trust &
Prevention
Funds
Center for
the Study of
Social Policy
(Lead
Organization)
ZERO TO
THREE:
National Center
for Infants,
Toddlers and
Families
Leadership Team
Teresa Rafael
Judy Langford
Nancy Seibel
Charlyn Harper Browne, Project Director
Martha Reeder
Carolyn Abdullah
Robin Higa
Jean McIntosh
Gina Chaney
Betty Johnson
The Strong Start Study: Strengthening Young
Families Affected by Substance Use through
High Fidelity Wraparound
(Denver, CO)
M. Kay Teel, Steven Rosenberg,
Jan Waller-Taylor
Project Dulce:
The Developmental Legal Collaboration
(Boston, MA)
Robert Sege, Edward De Vos, Louisa Sullivan
Fostering Hope: Concentrating Services in
High Poverty Neighborhoods
(Salem & McMinnville, OR)
James Seymour, Steve Rider, Katie Winters
The Family Networks Project
(Columbia, SC)
Cheri Shapiro, Janice Kilburn
Learning Network
National organizations receiving information
and updates, providing input and feedback, and
supporting implementation of the QIC-EC
Doctoral Dissertation Research
Fellows
Jessica Dym Bartlett, Tufts University
Andrea N. Gromoske, U of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Megan R. Holmes, U of California, Los Angeles
Kathryn Maguire-Jack, U of Wisconsin, Madison
Peggy Nygren, Portland State University
Cross-Site Evaluation
InSites,
Beverly Parsons, Executive Director
Patricia Jessup
Marah Moore
Vonda Kiplinger
Phase V: The on-line suite of tools
Registration
Self-assessment
Protective Factors Survey
Staff Survey
Dashboard
Report Generator