Protective Factors Program
About Protective Factors
​Protective factors are conditions or attributes of individuals, families, communities, or the larger society that mitigate or eliminate risk, thereby increasing the health and well-being of children and families. Protective factors help parents to find resources, supports, or coping strategies that allow them to parent effectively, even under stress.
The Five Protective Factors
​The Protective Factors Framework includes the following five protective factors:
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Parental Resilience
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Social Connections
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Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development
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Concrete Support in Times of Need​
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Social and Emotional Competence of Children
Protective factors help ensure that children and youth function well at home, in school, at work, and in the community. At the core of this nationally recognized framework, protective factors are the strengths that help support families and reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect.
Addressing the Need
As an association of community-based agencies administering the Protective Factors Survey and assessing impact and progress in the five Protective Factors domains with families, the Michigan Federation for Children and Families’ member agencies came together with a shared goal of increasing consistency among programs to provide the greatest impact with families. ​​​​​​
THE GOAL OF THE PROTECTIVE FACTORS PROGRAM IS TO:
1) Train the Workers
2) Train the Trainers
New family preservation workers need to develop an understanding of the philosophy and how to effectively utilize it in their day-to-day work, and supervisors need to be able to mentor and support their new staff in this area on an ongoing basis in order to ensure Protective Factors are integrated into all engagement with families in their homes and communities.
Recognizing the Need
Members worked with the Federation to do an environmental scan of what resources existed to meet this need, and through the one-time initial financial support of Casey Family Programs developed a program to support eight private agency representatives to become certified by the Children’s Trust Fund Alliance—an organization with expertise and an established learning community in this area—to deliver the training, “Bringing the Protective Factors Framework to Life in Your Work.”
Explore the training here!
As a result of becoming certified, the training leaders developed a compelling Protective Factors Training Series to equip workers and supervisors with the knowledge base and skill development to effectively and accurately assess a family’s risks and identify effective interventions to help them address those issues using the Protective Factors Framework. The training is focused on why as a state we believe in this framework, how it strengthens families, and the long-term positive outcomes it helps families achieve.
With the generous support of The New Foster Care, The Federation was able to continue to provide the Protective Factors Training Series in FY 2023, hosting five training sessions for ongoing workers, three training sessions for supervisors, and nine Lunch & Learn sessions.
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In July 2023, MDHHS and the Federation entered into a formal contract agreement, which has allowed the Federation to continue offering training to family preservation teams and to expand the curriculum to all foster care and adoption staff through support of four additional certified trainers. With support from MDHHS, the protective factors framework with be further embedded into Michigan’s child welfare system, building on the strengths, resiliency, and capacity of parents and children.
Program Outcome and Findings
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The Protective Factors Training opportunities were designed to enhance participants' understanding of Protective Factors that promote resilience and well-being in individuals and families. Throughout the sessions, participants engaged in discussions, activities, and interactive learning experiences aimed at deepening their knowledge and practical skills in applying the Protective Factors Framework within their professional contexts.​​​​
staff and supervisors throughout the state are trained on Protective Factors.
650+
agencies in 5 business regions received training.
13
(on average) of those who completed the training “strongly agreed” that they would recommend the training to co-workers.
76%
The data collected from post-training evaluations reveals an exceptionally high rating for the training delivery, with participants consistently expressing satisfaction and enthusiasm for the content and facilitation. All three trainings—for which participants were asked to rate the delivery of the training material on a scale from 1-10— were rated at or above 9 out of 10.
Moreover, the data demonstrates a significant increase in participants' perceived change in knowledge across all training objectives, reflecting the effectiveness of the instructional methods employed.
Self-rated Level of Understanding of Protective Factors Identification
Protective Factors Identification
This question had the highest combined ratings of “no” or “minimal understanding” (24%) prior to the training, which decreased to 0% post-training. Ratings of “somewhat understand” decreased from 22% to 2%. And while “moderate understanding” only increased by 2 percentage points, “strong understanding” increased by 46 percentage points.
65 of 79 participants of the Protective Factors for Family Preservation Workers trainings in November 2023 and January and March 2024 to rated their level of understanding of Protective Factors Identification.
Self-rated Ability to Identify the Five Protective Factors
Identify the Five Protective Factors
16.5% of participants rated themselves as not being able to identify the five Protective Factors at all before the training, which decreased to 0% posttraining. 25% answered they had “minimal ability” before the training. This category also decreased to 0% after the training. The 42% rating of “some ability” decreased to 8% in post-training ratings. Interestingly, no participants rated themselves as having “moderate ability” prior to the training, but afterward, 33% felt they were moderately capable of identifying the Protective Factors. An already high 16.5% of participants rated themselves to have a “strong ability” to identify the Protective Factors, which tripled to 59% post-training.
12 of 17 participants in the new Protective Factors for Foster Care and Adoption Staff Training, held in March of 2024 for the first time rated their ability to identify the Five Protective Factors.
Furthermore, the relevance of the training content was consistently highlighted by participants, who recognized its direct applicability to their roles and responsibilities. Many participants expressed a strong intention to integrate the Protective Factors Framework into their work, underscoring the practical value of the training.
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Based on the positive feedback and tangible outcomes observed, it is evident that this training has made a meaningful impact on participants' understanding and approach to Protective Factors and working with children and families in Michigan.