Doing Things Differently; Shifting from Cultures of Surveillance to Communities of Support

It is April, which means it is National Child Abuse Prevention Month . Please read on as I discuss this country’s history of people helping one another, our theme for the month, as well as for our upcoming conference, what warmlines are and how they can be used, a hint of the information that will be available in the new upcoming Prevention Resource Guide, and perhaps most importantly, what you can do to help.

The United States has a longstanding history of helping each other: Bringing food to a family who just had a baby; neighbors caring for children when a parent has been hospitalized; offering donations to a family who experienced a fire. While significant hardship and times of crisis can foster an outpouring of support, this is not the case for every situation or every family. Some families do not have access to critical supports and resources to help them cope with the ongoing stress inherent with caregiving. Inequities exacerbate these challenges and result in disproportionate involvement of families of color in the child welfare system. Our efforts to support all families and prevent child maltreatment are falling short and it is time for a change.  That’s why this year’s theme for National Child Abuse Prevention Month (NCAPM) and the 23^rd National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN) is “Doing Things Differently: Moving from the Challenge to the Change”. 

Achieving lasting change that supports the well-being of all children requires a collective approach that involves reframing societal attitudes to normalize help seeking and respecting parent and caregiver voices. By doing things differently, it is imperative to actively engage and involve those who have lived expertise with the child welfare system and know firsthand how policies and practices impact families—and how to improve them. Families are experts on their own situations, and to create meaningful change, it is critical to not just recognize, but embrace their value.

Making the shift to a more supportive and prevention-focused society can improve well-being and prevent families from coming to the attention of the child welfare system.  One way many communities are creating change is by instituting "warmlines" as a strategy to transition toward support and away from surveillance. The warmline offers callers an alternative to the child protective service hotline when addressing community concerns about a child and family. Warmlines are a holistic approach that offer families voluntary help with a wide range of issues, rather than subjecting them to an unnecessary CPS investigation, which can expose the family to additional stress and trauma. Philadelphia is a successful example of a city working to shift from a culture of surveillance to support. Philadelphia's Department of Human Services warmline service (Philly Families CAN ) is funded through a Family Support Through Primary Prevention grant from the Children's Bureau and helps connect families with children up to age 17 with housing and social, emotional, and behavioral health supports. More information about warmlines, along with other prevention strategies (e.g., building proactive child and family well-being systems, aligning organizations for family resilience and well-being, embracing community and families with wisdom, and lived expertise, etc.) will be available in the new 2023/2024 Prevention Resource Guide (scheduled for release May 2023).   

This April and throughout the year, we encourage you join us in doing things differently to strengthen families by taking steps to learn about and spread the word to others about the importance of taking bold actions to partner with, listen to, and support families by using innovative practices that move us from challenges to change. Visit the NCAPM 2023 website to find prevention-focused outreach materials you can share with agency leaders, colleagues, families, and the community. Join the conversation this month by using the hashtag #NCAPM2023 on social media. As always, thank you for your commitment to improving outcomes for all children, youth, and families.