Strong Communities for Children

Abstract

In 1990, the US Advisory Board declared a national emergency in the child protection system, which was nothing short of a disaster. In calling for a new approach to child protection, the Board argued that only a universal system of family support, grounded in the creation of caring communities, could provide an effective foundation for ensuring children's safety. Strong Communities for Children is the first initiative to attempt a comprehensive, large-scale implementation of the Board's proposed strategy. Using a public health approach, Strong Communities blends research about the causes and correlates of child abuse and neglect with public health concepts of community-wide prevention and intervention. Strong Families, the direct service component of Strong Communities, relies heavily on the health sector for the engagement of families.