While it is important for Mandated Reporters to understand their role in recognizing and reporting abuse, expanding their scope to that of Mandated Supporter empowers them to be proactive in their response against child abuse and neglect. This movement seeks to replace a system of surveillance with a culture of family support.
The Lean on Me concept prioritizes strategies that reduce ‘family overwhelm’ and uplifts people raising children. Systems, communities, and individuals can strengthen families by building protective factors and being a resource for caregivers to lean on. We believe that all families should be able to access the support and resources they need, when they need them, in their own communities, without stigma, and before they are in crisis.
Strengthening Families Self-Assessment Tool
The Strengthening Families Self-Assessment Tool for Community-Based Organizations helps programs determine how well they are implementing strategies to strengthen families.
Georgia DFCS Child Abuse and Neglect Codes
View Georgia DFCS specific language for screening reports of child abuse and neglect. The exception for poverty when considering neglect is on pages 4-7.
Find Help Georgia
Connecting families to critical supports and resources by using FindHelpGA.org. Family serving providers are encourage to get trained on using Find Help Georgia and use promote Find Help Georgia among families you serve.
Lean On Me Messaging
We currently have some Lean On Me social media posts and are working to develop out a full Lean On Me toolkit for messaging and content.
Additional Resources
Normalizing Help Seeking Behavior
To help families overcome any reluctance to ask for help, there are things you can do to normalizing help-seeking. This means helping caregivers understand that seeking, asking for, and accessing help is normal and respected. They aren’t the only ones who are facing a challenge/need help, and it takes courage and strength to seek and accept support. Remember, ‘resources’ doesn’t just mean concrete supports like food and housing help. Resources can also be opportunities to connect to others, like family social events, parent support groups, and volunteer opportunities.
- Often- by constantly sharing resources, we are normalizing that needing resources and support is a part of everyday life and parenting.
- With everyone– when we share resources to everyone, it helps people feel that accessing resources is normal and that they are not being targeted/judged. (e.g. during intake assessments, classroom management apps, parent-teacher conferences)
- Repeatedly– people may need to hear/see something several times before deciding to act.
- Make them conspicuous. Share flyers and resource information in highly frequented places
- Make them relevant when possible. Ask what they have tried, what has or hasn’t worked, and what they identify as most relevant.
- Make normalizing statements. Normalize that parenting is challenging and that everyone needs help sometimes. Every parent experiences stress. It’s not weak or a failure to feel it. It’s normal. We don’t learn self-regulation and healthy coping if we don’t first recognize we are stressed. Look for signs of stress in parents and do what you can to relieve it. Acts of kindness and caring de-escalate stressful situations.
- Accept help yourself. Reciprocity is empowering. It’s easier to accept help if you can also offer help. Giving families opportunities to give back builds community resilience.
Lean On Me Tips
- See their strengths. When someone’s behavior bothers you, ask yourself, “What happened to them?” rather than “What’s wrong with them?” Help parents know their worth. What’s right with them? Tell them about the positives and the strengths you see in them.
- Trust parents. Parents are leaders. Trust parents to know what they need. Trust that they are the expert in their own lives.
- Know your neighbors. Reaching out and knowing each other is protective to the whole community. Building relationships with people around you often reduces the need to call the authorities.
- Listen more; talk less. You can change a person’s life by learning their story. Listen actively. Hear their story, especially before giving advice.
- Check your bias. It’s natural to have bias based on our own standards and experiences, but keep in mind your experiences or context might not reflect those you are working with. Our communities are full of loving families with a full range of values, traditions and cultural practices. Check your biases to be able to meet families where they are and appreciate who they are. Acknowledge that systemic racism negatively affects children and families.
- Don’t make assumptions. Don’t assume parents and guardians need help, or need you to ‘save’ them. Sometimes all they need is a listening ear. Watch your posture and tone during the conversation.
- Honor bravery. It’s not easy for parents to ask for help, and it shouldn’t hurt to ask. Offer encouragement that they did the right thing. Tell them, ‘You’re not the first one or the last one to need help.’ It takes leaders to normalize help-seeking. Speak about the times that you’ve received help.
- Say the magic words. Acknowledge your desire to help with the right words. “I want to help you. What can I do to help you?” If you hear others saying something judgmental or negative to or about a parent in a stressful situation, run interference. Get closer and say something like, “It looks like they’re trying to do her best.” or “That sounds stressful, it must be hard to juggle all that. How can we help.”
- Be a calming presence. Only through calm can you create calm. Children learn calm from their parents, but it can be difficult to be a calm parent. When you observe parent stress, stay calm. Being a calm community member can help parents stay calm.
- Educate rather than denigrate. Shame is not a good learning tool. Assume parents are trying their best. They may not have the time, capacity or desire to attend a parenting class or group. Start education efforts where parents are, like children’s sports events. That’s where natural connections develop. Educate and communicate without expectation. Don’t be offended if they don’t follow advice.
- Don’t take it personally. Stressed parents may find it hard to accept help, especially if they find it hard to trust people because of their past experiences. In a crisis situation, you can say, “You don’t have a reason to trust me, but I’m on your team.”
- Storytime for grown-ups. Put observations in a third person. Tell a story about another person when you offer suggestions. ‘My friend did this and it worked.” Speak about the times that you’ve received help. It takes leaders to normalize help-seeking.
- Keep your word. Follow-through builds trust. Be real about what you can and can’t provide. Don’t tell them it’s going to be fine if it’s not. Instead, tell them they won’t be alone.
- Be the village. Start connecting with people around you – on your block, or in your apartment complex. Bring back ‘welcome wagons’ – introduce yourself to new neighbors. Create or show up at community events. Organize potlucks for parents that could include clothing swaps. Go beyond asking about the children; ask parents how they are doing. Really listen.
- Value diversity. Affirm the beauty of culture. Strong culture helps build identity and belongingness, which humans need to thrive. Value, promote and respect cultural practices – they strengthen family resilience.
- Build safe spaces. Some groups who have experienced discrimination may need safe spaces to share knowledge and support each other. From there, they can connect one another to resources they trust, and build a circle of trust together.
- Convene. Show up. Host events that offer parents a break and child care. Give parents the opportunity to focus on self-care on a regular basis. Social media groups can be a great way to find others with common interests, who share your challenges, or are in similar phases of life.
- Watch your language. Catch yourself when you talk negatively about people receiving government assistance, or other forms of concrete help. Instead, you can change social norms to normalize help-seeking by saying something like, “I’m glad they’re getting what they need. We all need help sometimes.”
- Model behavior. Model positive parenting in public. You never know who is watching and learning.
- Be a parent ally. Consider yourself an ambassador to the success of parents and families. Allies can assume roles of middlemen, culture guiders, and advocates. Tap the power of elders, who can assume roles of grandparents and mentors.
Podcasts
Citations
Overarching Citations
Casey Family Programs. (2023, April). Safe strong supported: Analysis of state definitions of child neglect. Retrieved from https://www.casey.org/state-definitions-child-neglect-casey-family-programs/.
Chaplin Hall. (March 2023). Child and family well-being system: Economic and concrete supports as a core component. Retrieved from https://www.chapinhall.org/wp-content/uploads/Economic-Supports-deck.pdf
Dokes, J. & Louge, C. (2021). Lean on me AZ: Strengthening families to prevent child adversity. Prevent Child Abuse Arizona. Retrieved from: https://pcaaz.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Lean-On-Me-AZ-Strengthening-Families-to-Prevent-Child-Adversity.pdf
Milner, J., & Kelly, D. (2022). All I needed was a little help. Family Integrity and Justice Quarterly (FIJ), page 7. https://issuu.com/familyjusticegroup/docs/20230629_journal_final
National Conference of State Legislatures (February 2023). Policy Leavers for Preventing Child Maltreatment. https://www.ncsl.org/human-services/policy-levers-for-preventing-child-maltreatment
Safe & Sound. (September 2022). Creating a Child & Family Well-Being System: A Paradigm Shift from Mandated Reporting to Community Supporting. Retrieved from: https://economics.safeandsound.org/static_reports/Shifting.from.Mandated.Reporting.to.Community.Supporting_brief.pdf
Citations for specific training information by slide.
Slide 4
- “Over 70% of calls made to DFCS are for neglect.”- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. (2023). Child Maltreatment 2021. Available from https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/cm2021.pdf
- “A survey put out to parents at the onset of COVID 19 found that 19% of parents reported yelling or screaming at their child more, 15% said they increased their use of discipline, and more also reported using more physical discipline since the onset of covid.”- Lee, S., Ward, K. (2020). Stress and parenting during the coronavirus pandemic. Parenting in Context Research Lab. Retrieved from https://news.umich.edu/coronavirus-causing-conflict-between-parents-children/
Slide 5
- Criteria on Neglect from Georgia Division of Family and Children Services, Child Abuse and Neglect Codes (neglect is page 4-7)
Slide 9
- “National studies have found that children from families with low socioeconomic status were seven times more likely to have a confirmed case of neglect than children in households with more resources.”- Sedlak AJ, Mettenburg J, Basena M, Peta I, McPherson K, Greene A, & Li S (2010). Fourth national incidence study of child abuse and neglect (NIS-4). US Department of Health and Human Services.
- “Certain communities are disproportionally reported to the DFCS hotline as a result of poverty and inequitable access to supports. For example, Black families are more likely than white families to be reported to DFCS. This difference can be explained by historical under-resourcing of Black communities, higher rates of poverty that stem from policies that prevent wealth accumulation (such as red lining), and mandated reporter bias. It is important to examine our biases when making a report and further our collective efforts to equip families with resources.”National Conference of State Legislatures (February 2023). Policy Leavers for Preventing Child Maltreatment. https://www.ncsl.org/human-services/policy-levers-for-preventing-child-maltreatment Yordy, J. (2023 February). Poverty and Child Neglect: How Did We Get It Wrong?” https://www.ncsl.org/state-legislatures-news/details/poverty-and-child-neglect-how-did-we-get-it-wrongChapin Hall at the University of Chicago. (Updated April 2022). Economic and Concrete Supports: Prevention of Child Welfare Involvement. Retrieved from https://www.chapinhall.org/wp-content/uploads/CA-CWC-06.01.22-Chapin-Hall-final.pdf
Slide 7
- Chart on slide: Voices for Georgia’s Children. (2023). Whole Child Primer. Retrieved from: https://georgiavoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Whole-Child-Primer-2023-FINAL.pdf
- “Separating children from their families is a traumatic event for everyone involved and can lead to toxic stress for children, attachment problems, and feelings of loss and grief.”- Sankaran, Vivek, et al. “A Cure Worse Than the Disease? The Impact of Removal on Children and Their Families.” Marquette Law Review, vol. 102, no. 4, Jan. 2019, pp. 1161–94. https://repository.law. umich.edu/articles/2055
Slide 10
- Podcast- Overloaded: Understanding Neglect, S1, E4: Overloaded Families
Slide 12
- “We are learning from new research that the absence of positive childhood experiences can be more damaging than the presence of adverse childhood experiences.”- Bethell C, Jones J, Gombojav N, Linkenbach J, Sege R. (2019). Positive Childhood Experiences and Adult Mental and Relational Health in a Statewide Sample: Associations Across Adverse Childhood Experiences Levels. JAMA Pediatr, 173(11):e193007. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31498386/
Slide 15
- Lean On Me- Dokes, J. & Louge, C. (2021). Lean on me AZ: Strengthening families to prevent child adversity. Prevent Child Abuse Arizona. Retrieved from: https://pcaaz.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Lean-On-Me-AZ-Strengthening-Families-to-Prevent-Child-Adversity.pdf
Slide 26
- “A $1,000 increase in income from either the Earned Income Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit is associated with a decline in child maltreatment reports of 7.7% in the 4 weeks after payment. The Earned Income Tax Credit, is given out federally but some states also implement a state-level Earned Income Tax Credit. For states who implement the Earned Income Tax Credit, compared to those who don’t, there is an 11% decrease in foster care entries.” – Rostad WL, Ports KA, Tang S, Klevens J. Reducing the Number of Children Entering Foster Care: Effects of State Earned Income Tax Credits. Child Maltreat. 2020 Nov;25(4):393-397. doi: 10.1177/1077559519900922. Epub 2020 Jan 24. PMID: 31973550; PMCID: PMC7377953. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31973550/
- “Every $1 increase in minimum wage was associated with a 9.6% decline in neglect reports (primarily for children < 12 years).” – Raissian KM, & Bullinger LR (2017). Money matters: Does the minimum wage affect child maltreatment rates? Children and Youth Services Review, 72(C), 60–70. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740916303139
- “Each additional month that mothers who are low income receive a childcare subsidy is associated with: 16% decrease in the odds of a neglect report and 14% decrease in the odds of a physical abuse report” – Yang, M., Maguire-Jack, K., Showalter, K., Kim, Y., Shook Slack, K. (2019). Child care subsidy and child maltreatment. Child and Family Social Work, 24(4) 547-554. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cfs.12635
- “States that newly expanded Medicaid in 2014 were associated with reductions in the average rate of child neglect reports per state-year: 13% reduction for children ages 0-5; 15% reduction for children ages 6-12; 16% reduction for children ages 13–17 (compared to states that did not expand Medicaid from 2008 to 2018).” – McGinty, E., Nair, R., Assini-Meytin, L., Stuart, E., Letourneau, E. (2021). Impact of Medicaid Expansion on Reported Incidents of Child Neglect and Physical Abuse. Am J Prev Med, 62(1):e11-e20. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34561125/
- “Medicaid expansion is a key strategy for addressing housing instability for people with low incomes. Evictions fell by 20% in Medicaid expansion states compared to non-expansion states.” – Zewde N, Eliason E, Allen H, Gross T. (2019). The Effects of the ACA Medicaid Expansion on Nationwide Home Evictions and Eviction-Court Initiations: United States, 2000-2016. Am J Public Health. 109(10):1379-1383. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31415189/
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