​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Kentucky Strengthening Families (KYSF) is dedicated to embedding research-based Protective Factors into services and supports for children and their families. Protective Factors are conditions in families and communities that, when present, help increase the health and well-being of families and children and reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect.

All families experience times of stress and research demonstrates that children thrive in environments where families have the tools and support to manage those challenges. Kentucky families can benefit from comprehensive efforts to build Protective Factors. Supporting families is a key strategy for promoting school readiness and preventing child abuse and neglect.​

Kentucky Strengthening Families launched in 2015 and has continued to grow and develop over the past decade. This work is derived from the national Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework. Kentucky took this Framework and adapted the concepts to best serve families and children in Kentucky. 

Protective Factors:

Parental Resilience: Managing stress and functioning well when faced with challenges, adversity, and trauma.  

Social Connections: Positive relationships that provide emotional, informational, instrumental, and spiritual support.

Knowledge of Child Development: Understanding child development and parenting strategies that support physical, cognitive, language, social, and emotional development. 

Concrete Support: Access to concrete support and services that address a family’s needs and help minimize stress caused by challenges.

Social and Emotional Competence of Children: Social and emotional competence of children: Family and child interactions that help children develop the ability to communicate clearly, recognize and regulate their emotions, and establish and maintain relationships.​

Kentucky Strengthening Families Goal:

Kentucky is strengthening families by enhancing Protective Factors that reduce the impact of adversity and increase the well-being of children and families through family, community and state partnerships.​

Kentucky Strengthening Families Vision:

All Kentucky children are healthy, safe and prepared to succeed, in school and in life, through families that are resilient, supported and strengthened within their communities.

Main Goals of KYSF Initiative:

• Collaborate with state systems to embed Protective Factors into practices, policies and guidelines.
• Support programs in aligning their practices with developmental science to enhance responsiveness to trauma and promote the development of Protective Factors, rather than solely focusing on risk reduction.
• Helping​ individuals transform their relationships with caregivers/youth by working together to achieve positive outcomes.
• Evidence-informed approach that can be adapted to many different settings and service delivery models. ​​​