“Someone will notice, and someone will care”: How to build Strong Communities for Children

Derived from the recommendations of the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect, Strong Communities for Children is a universal community-wide approach to prevention of child maltreatment. It is intended to change community norms—to facilitate informal support for families and to strengthen parents’ belief that they can improve the quality of life for their own and their neighbors’ families. A phased intervention, Strong Communities begins with recruitment and mobilization of volunteers, initially to spread Strong Communities’ messages and ultimately to provide direct assistance to families of young children. Principle-driven, Strong Communities uses assets in the community to expand and strengthen networks of supportive relationships and, in particular, to increase support to parents. At least in concept, Strong Communities appears to be applicable in highly disparate communities and societies.