Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect

162 Pages·2007·2.45 MB·English

P at h w ay t o t h e

Prevention
of Child
Abuse and
Neglect
Lisbeth B. Schorr, Director
Project on Effective Interventions at Harvard University

Vicky Marchand, Senior Associate
Pathways Mapping Initiative

June, 2007
P at h w ay t o t h e

Prevention
of Child
Abuse and
Neglect
Lisbeth B. Schorr, Director
Project on Effective Interventions at Harvard University

Vicky Marchand, Senior Associate
Pathways Mapping Initiative

June, 2007
The Pathway to the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect was funded by the California
Department of Social Services, Children and Family Services Division Office of Child Abuse
Prevention. The Pathways Mapping Initiative is also supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation
and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The authors are solely responsible for the content.

This book is available as a PDF document online at:
www.PathwaysToOutcomes.org. The text materials contained in this website may be used,
downloaded, reproduced or reprinted, provided that appropriate acknowledgment appears in all
copies and provided that such use, download, reproduction or reprint is for non-commercial use
only.

The examples included in the Pathway to the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect are intended
to illustrate effective actions. Their inclusion is not an endorsement of the overall quality of the
particular initiative, strategy, or program. Only a small sample of potential examples is included,
and the authors encourage users to continue to collect examples of effective interventions at the
local, state, and national levels.

© 2007 by the Project on Effective Interventions, Pathways Mapping Initiative
s

PATHWAY TO THE PREVENTION OF CHILD ABUSE AND t
NEGLECT n

Table of Contents e

t
Orientation to the Pathway
n

Overview
o
Actions Overview, Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect
Summary of Goals, Action Areas, and Actions
C
Rationale for Working Toward This Outcome
Overview of Indicators

Defining the Outcome – Long Term Indicators of Progress
f
Targets of Intervention
Cross-Cutting Ingredients of Effective Implementation o

Goal 1: Children and Youth Nurtured, Safe, and Engaged
e
ACTIONS with examples
INDICATORS of progress l
INGREDIENTS of effective implementation b
RATIONALE
Research EVIDENCE a

Goal 2: Strong, Connected Families T
ACTIONS with examples
INDICATORS of progress
INGREDIENTS of effective implementation
RATIONALE
Research EVIDENCE

Goal 3: Identified Families Access Services and Supports
ACTIONS with examples
INDICATORS of progress
INGREDIENTS of effective implementation
RATIONALE
Research EVIDENCE
Goal 4: Families Free From Substance Abuse and Mental Illness
ACTIONS with examples s
INDICATORS of progress
t
INGREDIENTS of effective implementation
n
RATIONALE
Research EVIDENCE
e

Goal 5: Caring Responsive Communities t
ACTIONS with examples n
INDICATORS of progress
INGREDIENTS of effective implementation o
RATIONALE
Research EVIDENCE C

Goal 6: Greater Capacity to Respond in Vulnerable Communities

ACTIONS with examples f
INDICATORS of progress
o
INGREDIENTS of effective implementation
RATIONALE
Research EVIDENCE e

l
Hot Topics - Cross-cutting Themes
b

Background Materials a
Appendix 1: Pathways Mapping Initiative
Appendix 2: Mental Mapping as a Tool for Improving Outcomes T
Appendix 3: List of Examples
Appendix 4: Sources
Appendix 5: Contributors and Acknowledgements
ORIENTATION TO PATHWAYS
Gude to the Pathway to the Preventon of
Chld Abuse and Neglect
The Pathway to the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect assembles a wealth of
findings from research, practice, theory, and policy about what it takes to improve the
lives of children and families, particularly those living in tough neighborhoods. By
laying out a comprehensive, coherent array of actions, the Pathway informs efforts to
improve community conditions within supportive policy and funding contexts.
The Pathways framework does not promote a single formula or “silver bullet.” Rather,
the emphasis is on acting strategically across disciplines, systems, and jurisdictions
to reduce the costs of abuse and neglect and to promote thriving children, families,
and communities. The Pathway provides a starting point to guide choices made by
community coalitions, services providers, researchers, funders, and policymakers to
achieve desired outcomes for children and their families.
The Pathway Is Only One Pece
The Pathway offers guidance to communities which, in combination with local
wisdom, provides a structure for planning and acting strategically.
PATHWAYS KNOWLEDGE BASE LOCAL WISDOM STRATEGIC ACTION
Exstng servces,
Actons – programs, supports, and gaps
supports, connectons,
fundng, polces Interests of leaders Comprehensve plannng
Examples of and decson-makers
promsng actons Settng prortes
Aspratons of
Ingredents of partners and
effectveness stakeholders Implementng the plan
Indcators of progress
Montorng mpact
Assets and avalable
Research-based resources and effectveness
ratonale and evdence
Problems you are
seekng to solve

ORIENTATION TO PATHWAYS
Pathway Components
Prevention of child abuse and neglect is not the sole responsibility of any single agency
or professional group; rather it is a shared community concern. Effective strategies
require multiple actions at the individual, family, and community levels to reduce risk
factors and strengthen protective factors. Communities can prevent child abuse and
neglect by working effectively toward the following goals:
TARGETS G O A L S
Children & Youth Chldren and Youth Are Nurtured, Safe and Engaged
Famles Are Strong and Connected
Families Identified Families Access Services and Supports
Famles Free From Substance Abuse and Mental Illness
Communtes Are Carng and Responsve
Communities
Vulnerable Communtes Have Capacty To Respond
The following components of the Pathway will help communities, funders, and policy makers to take ACTION
to achieve these goals, to use INDICATORS to measure their progress, to identify the INGREDIENTS of
effective implementation, to understand the RATIONALE connecting actions and results, and to examine the
EVIDENCE documenting the effectiveness of the actions.
Actons Examples Indcators Ingredents Ratonale Evdence
specific strategies, program and measures for elements of research-based research
activities, or steps policy initiatives targeting and how actions are reasons to documenting
taken to impact illustrating monitoring the implemented believe that that identified
the quality and how actions impact of actions that make them identified actions actions contribute
capacity of local have worked and documenting effective are likely to to achieving the
services and elsewhere progress toward contribute to targeted outcome
supports, the the outcome the desired or conditions
availability of outcome that lead to the
resources, or the outcome
policy contexts
that contribute to
the outcome

ORIENTATION TO PATHWAYS
How to Use Pathway Components
The Pathway organizes an extensive collection of information as a starting point for
effective action. It does not define a planning protocol. Change agents can make use
of the Pathway in many ways regardless of where they are in a planning process. The
following diagram illustrates how the components of the Pathway can help you in a
typical strategic planning approach.
StaSret/eS tehee t Bheg B Pgc Ptucrteure Plan and Make Choces Implement Track Progress
• Set priorities for • Put plans into
what to do action
Actons Overvew
• Examine outcome-based
framework • Connect actions • Show short-term
• Consider your scope to outcomes impact
of action • Establish a theory • Make the case • Verify long-term
• Identify potential allies of change for investment benefits for
children, youth
• Strengthen
and families
• Assess the public will
• Define the
G strength of
scope of your
research support • Detail
efforts
for action improvements
• Set priorities in services and
Goal
for impact supports
• Define baselines • Create meaningful
• Engage allies in information • Document
• Select “headline”
planning systems changing
measures of
community
change • Tell your story
conditions
• Define • Maximize impact
operational of actions
standards
• Assess quality
Rely on Rely on
LOCAL WISDOM LOCAL WISDOM
to make judgments and to continually
understand the local context improve efforts
for action
Usng results and ganed knowledge, revst goals and actons

ORIENTATION TO PATHWAYS
Movng from Comprehensve Vson to Focused Acton
How you use the Pathway will depend on your objectives and the role you play
in efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect. The Actions Overview presents a
comprehensive framework illustrating the breadth of actions which contribute to the
outcome. Communities certainly can not do everything worth doing at once. The
supporting materials within each goal help to focus on what it takes to act effectively
in complex political and financial contexts. The Pathway provides a starting point for
grappling with hard trade-offs and working to build the connections and infrastructure
necessary to sustain change.
Goal Actons Ingredents Indcator Ratonale Evdence
v
ORIENTATION TO PATHWAYS
Possble Applcatons for the Pathway
While initiatives must draw on local wisdom to be effective, communities can
act more strategically by learning from what has worked elsewhere and what
appears promising. The Pathway can help users facing common questions and
challenges, such as:
Exstng efforts do not seem to be achevng desred
results. How can we use exstng resources more
effectvely to acheve greater mpact?
New funds are avalable. Where s the addtonal nvestment
lkely to enhance results for chldren, famles, and communtes?
How do we expand our partnershps and engage alles
beyond a core group of servce provders? How do we value
nformal supports and ntegrate them nto our effort?
How do we convnce polcy makers and funders that takng
acton wll reduce the harm caused by chld abuse and neglect?
How do we know f efforts are achevng desred
results? How can we track progress?
SCENARIO 1
The majority of families referred for concerns about abuse or neglect do not meet criteria for abuse or neglect.
However, it is likely that they can benefit from supports and services intended to reduce risks and promote
protection related to future abuse or neglect, so the County has partnered with the local Family Resource Centers
to work with the family to access services and enhance informal support systems. Child Welfare Agency and Family
Resource Center staff have turned to the Pathway to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect to help them effectively
engage these families.
By scanning the Pathway, staff can identify which of the Goals are likely to be most relevant to the current challenge.
In this case, Goal 3: Identified Families Access Services and Supports includes three action areas that
contribute to this goal, an action and an array of examples of what has worked elsewhere. Based on their analysis of
existing efforts and local capacity, staff may choose to focus on one action area, such as “Staff who encounter families
are trained in screening and referrals.” The Examples provide practical approaches that may stimulate innovation
and engage folks who may be too ready to dismiss any action as undoable or ineffective.
How the County builds a network of voluntary services and supports and the way each family experiences the initial
contact and on-going engagement with staff are critical for achieving the goal. The Ingredents of effectiveness
may help staff identify opportunities to enhance existing efforts, such as the development of systems to share
referral information and track clients, or practices that address obstacles, such as coordinated case management.
Both Child Welfare Agency and Family Resource Center staff need to be ready to make the case for changing
practice and investing in prevention efforts to everyone from frontline staff to elected officials to the media. The
Ratonale to work on this goal and the Evdence from evaluation research provides excerpts from the literature
which can be used for influencing stakeholders, writing proposals, and making presentations.
v