Reboot of the Standards of Quality in California
The Standards of Quality for Family Strengthening & Support (the Standards) issued by CFRA’s Networks Committee (formerly known as the California Network of Family Strengthening Networks) in 2012, and adopted by the National Family Support Network in 2013, are the first and only standards in the country to integrate and operationalize the Principles of Family Support Practice with the Strengthening Families Frameworks and its research-based evidence-informed 5 Protective Factors. CFRA’s Networks Committee is excited about the re-introduction of the Standards to promote quality practices in the field of Family Strengthening/Support.
A brief history on the Standards:
After conducting a research review of 17 different sets of Standards across the United States, and with the financial support from the S.H. Cowell Foundation, the leveraged support of California’s Office of Child Abuse Prevention through Strategies and the Center for the Study of Social Policy, the 10 networks whose representatives served on the Standards Development Committee and the vetting by over a 1,000 organizations across California, the Standards were established and approved in 18 months by the membership of the Networks Committee.
The Standards are designed to be used by all stakeholders–public departments, foundations, community-based organizations, and parents–across different kinds of Family Strengthening/Support programs as a tool for planning, providing, and assessing quality practice.
The Standards create common language and expectations in the Family Support/Strengthening field across different programs, such as Family Resource Centers, home visiting programs, and child development programs, with the goal that implementation will help ensure that families are supported and strengthened through quality practice.
Reboot in California
Since the adoption in California in 2012, there have been 95 trainings with over 2,782 individuals certified. Now that CFRA’s Networks Committee has support with implementation of the standards, the Networks Committee has partnered with CALTRIN, a science-based professional education program that will offer virtual trainings on the standards.
The reboot under CFRA’s Networks Committee will provide:
- A centralized place for members, individuals and agencies to receive up to date information on the Standards
- Insight/expertise on the Standards from members that have participated in the development, revisions and implementation of the Standards
- Training and technical assistance through webinars, standards trainings offered in partnership with CALTRIN
- Common language across the field
- A baseline for quality in family Strengthening/Support programs
- Implementation tools that support with quality practices
Standards Certification Training
CALTRIN in partnership with CFRA’s Networks Committee will sponsor overview webinars and virtual trainings on the Standards until covid restrictions are lifted. Both the 1 ½ hour overview webinar and the 2 ½ day Standards training are designed for all management and direct service staff, as well as for funders. Each individual who completes the 2 ½ day training receives a certificate from the National Family Support Network that is valid for 2 years. Since the partnership with CALTRIN began in late 2021, there have been two Standards trainings which took place in June/August of this year with over 49 people in attendance.
For more information on the Standards contact:
- Debbie Comstock -Networks Committee Co-Chair/Lead Trainer for California debbiecomstock7@gmail.com
- Teressa Johnes-Networks Committee Co-Chair/Trainer TeressaJohnesConsulting@gmail.com
- CALTRIN-join email list to get most up to date information on training https://www.caltrin.org/