California Family Resource Association (CFRA)
POLICY PLATFORM
October 2020
POLICY PRIORITIES
- Child Abuse Prevention
As an affiliate of Prevent Child Abuse America (PCAA), we support the position statements and resolutions of the organization. (Prevent Child Abuse America) These include Position Statements on: Bullying and Peer Abuse; Promoting Child Development by Supporting Families; Prevention of Physical, Sexual, Emotional Abuse and Neglect; and PCAA Public Policy Resolutions on: Early Child Education and Development; Family Economic Stability; Parent Mutual Self Help Support Groups; Pediatric and Primary Care Professionals and Their Role in Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect; Prenatal Care; Sexual Solicitation of Youth on the Internet; Child Care; Corporal Punishment; Domestic Violence; Early Hospital Discharge of Mothers and Newborns; Gun Safety; Home Visitation; Judicial Proceedings; Therapeutic Care for Victims of Child Abuse; Use of Addictive Substances During Pregnancy; Violence in the Media; Bullying; Mandatory Reporting of Clergy Suspected of Abuse; and Religious Exemptions to Child Abuse and Neglect.
- Racial Equity and Systemic Racism
Systemic racism and implicit bias are infused in our institutions and systems that are supposed to ensure all people have access to educational success, quality health care, food security, housing, socioeconomic mobility, reduced stress, and so much more. Structural inequality, historical trauma, violence, and micro-aggressions cause toxic stress and trauma for People of Color. CFRA supports policies that increase equitable outcomes for all children and families and is committed to being anti-racist, to using an equity lens in our policy work and acting with intentionality to address and eliminate racial inequities.
- Services and Supports for Families and Communities
CFRA works to advance comprehensive statewide approaches to ensure quality services for all families and communities, including: Child Welfare and Child Abuse Prevention; Early Childhood Education and School Readiness; Economic Assistance and Family Economic Success; Family Strengthening, Home Visitation and Parent Education; Health and Mental Health Care; Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma Informed Care.
- Stable Funding Stream for FRCs
Historically, FRCs have been underfunded, primarily sustaining themselves through a patchwork of city, county and state funding. CFRA is committed to advancing strategies for sustainable funding for FRCs. Examples include defining FRC in statute through Senate Bill 436 and advocating for state funding for FRCs to respond to COVID-19.
- Advocacy Support and Training for CFRA Members
CFRA provides advocacy tools and technical assistance to its members and works in partnership with members and allies to align local, regional and statewide policy efforts and build member capacity to advance policies and programs that benefit children, families and communities.
- Evaluation and Data to Substantiate the Impact of FRCs
CFRA works to support the identification and collection of outcome data to substantiate the impact of FRCs.
- Respond to Emerging Needs
In this time of COVID-19 families are more challenged than ever. Children are at heightened risk for abuse and neglect and negative health outcomes due to social isolation and increased stress on the whole family. FRCs are uniquely positioned to respond to emerging threats, address family needs and strengthen families by connecting them with essential services, resources and systems of care. CFRA works in partnership with FRCs to leverage existing relationships and connections to respond efficiently and effectively in a crisis.
PURPOSE OF POLICY PLATFORM
The CFRA Policy Platform is intended to provide guidance and direction to our members, Board of Directors, staff, partner agencies, allies and the general public on policy issues affecting California’s children, families and communities. The California Family Resource Association (CFRA) is strategically focused on priority policies at local, state, and national levels. This document is open to continuous change as needs and environment change and is reviewed and revised at least annually.
HOW WE IDENTIFY PRIORITIES
The CFRA Policy Platform is developed in consultation with our members, including our Policy Committee and Networks Committee, both comprised of CFRA members, and the Policy Committee of the Child Abuse Prevention Center Board of Directors.
IDENTITY AND MISSION
CFRA is a statewide membership association that serves as a unifying policy voice for Family Resource Centers (FRCs), FRC Networks and other organizations that serve children and families. Founded in 2005, CFRA and our members work together to bring children, families and communities to the forefront of policymaking in California. Our mission is to advocate for the innovative public policies and resources that are needed for children, families and communities to succeed and thrive. We do this by educating policymakers, building the capacity of our member organizations, convening partners for shared learning and planning, and joining forces with other public, private, and nonprofit organizations to achieve greater impact.
FRCs are defined by the California Welfare and Institutions Code Section 18951(g) as “an entity providing family-centered and family-strengthening services that are embedded in communities, culturally sensitive, and include cross-system collaboration to assist in transforming families and communities through reciprocity and asset development based on impact-driven and evidence-informed approaches with the goal of preventing child abuse and neglect and strengthening children and families. A family resource center may be located in, or administered by, different entities, including, but not limited to, a local educational agency, a community resource center, or a neighborhood resource center.”
FRCs play a critical role in preventing child abuse and neglect, strengthening children and families, and connecting families to an array of supportive systems of care. FRCs also serve as a force for community change, organizing neighbors and developing grassroots leadership to create lasting local change. And with likeminded partners and allies, they support local and state legislation and policies that foster equity, promote social justice, and expand opportunities for communities facing the greatest barriers to well-being.
Our current statewide policy efforts focus on seven key priority areas including: 1) Child Abuse Prevention; 2) Racial Equity and Systemic Racism; 3) Services and Supports for Families and Communities; 4) Stable Funding Stream for FRCs; 5) Advocacy Support and Training for CFRA Members; 6) Evaluation and Data to Substantiate the Impact of FRCs; and 7) Respond to Emerging Needs.
While we receive generous support from the California Endowment and SH Cowell Foundation for raising awareness of issues relevant to FRCs and for supporting general policy advocacy by our members, any direct lobbying efforts are funded through donations and unrestricted funds.