February 2021Vol. 22, No. 2New Strengthening Families Resources for Parents and Providers in Response to COVID-19
For the past year, families have been experiencing increased stress as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Worrying about health, dealing with unemployment and financial concerns, and supporting school-age children with virtual learning have taken a toll on many.
To help mitigate this, the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) released new Strengthening Families resources: one for parents and caregivers and one for service providers. The resource for parents, Building Resilience in Troubled Times: A Guide for Parents, contains tips that parents can put into action in their daily lives to help build resilience during the pandemic, while many are dealing with social distancing and being home with their children. Tips include the following:
- Find something you can do to take care of yourself each day.
- Remember that this too will pass.
- Check in with each of your children to find out how they are feeling, what they are missing, or what made them laugh today.
- Look for moments of joy and encouragement, no matter how small.
- If faith is a part of your life, stay connected to your faith community.
For providers who work with families, CSSP released Strengths-Based Practice in Troubled Times. This resource is meant to help bolster and strengthen families as they work to overcome today's challenges and thrive. The resource provides the following six strengths-based steps to help providers guide and engage with families during times of stress:
- Start with empathy.
- Ask strengths-based questions, such as "How have you gotten through tough times in the past?"
- Provide perspective as well as information.
- Strategize with families.
- Coach families.
- Lift up families' successes.
Read more about these new resources on the CSSP website.