CYC819 Week 1

- Children and families can be exposed to multiple risk factors at the same time - Family experience of risk is shared even if 1 individual is directly affected - The family mediates risk for children - Question: Identify some situations where families may not be able to protect their children? Factors that May Limit Family Support - Divorce - Mental illness - Economic challenges - Parental conflict - Child maltreatment - Family violence - Allostatic Load – chronic stress that limits the functioning of people - (Allostatic is how to body responds to stressors) - Local and global crises Benefits of Quality Parenting - Increased competence in children - Academic development - Social competence Forms of Support and Protection - Attachment and bonding - Belief systems - Family routines & regulatory roles - Cultural traditions Multiple Theoretical Approaches to Understanding Family - Systems - Developmental - Psychology - Biology - Resilience Benefits of Employing Multiple Perspectives - Develops a more comprehensive picture - Supports the development of broader and more effective strategies and interventions - Better training for researchers and practitioners - Developing a scientific foundation for the field - More comprehensive benefits to children and families CYC Approach to Working with Families - How does your role as a CYC differ from the ideas presented in the first article? - Does a scientific approach support the development of relational practice? Support your position.