Concrete Support in Times of Need

We’re continuing to explore the five protective factors that make up the Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework by delving into Concrete Support in Times of Need. 

Children are safest and healthiest in families who have access to basic needs and know how to access essential services like healthcare, mental health resources, and childcare. Concrete support means that families have access to the assistance and services they need, both on an ongoing basis and if crises arise. It can come from friends and family as well as from social services agencies.

At the heart of concrete support is the idea that all parents need assistance sometimes and that there is a strength in asking for help when it’s needed. Navigating social and medical services can be stressful and challenging in the best of times, but employing a strengths-based approach ensures that community agencies, like ANFRC Family Resource Centers, are building respectful, trusting relationships with families while helping them access services but also gain a deeper understanding of the systems they need to navigate.

Providing assistance to parents in need is not a crutch, but rather a stepping stone toward increased knowledge of systems (including how to navigate them and understanding one’s rights within them), the confidence to seek help in the future, and ultimately increased resilience.