Family Support Programs: Typical Components*

The focus of family support is to strengthen families by offering a wide variety of strategies that every family needs to raise healthy, productive children and to prevent problems that are associated with family breakdown.

Typical components include (rarely does one program offer all components, most offer some variety that makes sense for their community or neighborhood):

Life-skills training:

Literacy, employment and vocational training; general education; and enhancement of personal skills such as problem solving, stress reduction, budgeting and communication.  Adults may need access to the internet, email and computer training.

Parenting classes and support groups:

Providing information on child development, positive discipline and communication these classes offer parents and opportunity to learn from each other, share experiences and concerns and receive support.  There are many research-based curricula, labeled best practice or promising practice that, when presented with fidelity to the model, insure optimum success for the parents and the program.  Support groups can have a unique focus for specialized groups such as, fathers, kinship care, parents raising children with disabilities, single parents, etc.

Early Childhood groups:

Can include toddler play and learn groups, preschool classes, summer camps and enrichment groups.  They also offer occasions for parents to spend time with their children in activities planned by professionals with input from the parents.  They include programs like Head Start, Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) and community preschools.  

Childcare:

Usually offered to allow parents to participate in program activities.  Can also be offered as respite service or drop in service.  Many licensed childcare centers adopt a family support approach as part of their program philosophy and practice.

Information and referral services:

Essential service to support families’ link with other community resources.  Can be part of a case management program or more informal through drop-in or phone support.

Advocacy:

Can be efforts made on behalf of specific families or on behalf of entire community for services and improvement of systems.

Crisis intervention and family counseling:

Need to provide or have strong links to other professionals that can assist families who are struggling with unique family issues or concerns about their children.

Auxiliary support services:

Examples include clothing exchanges, food banks, transportation and access to other basic needs.

* Goetz and Peck, 1994

--Taken from “Making the Case for Family Support” an Essay with Supporting Documents, 1996