Know

Think back to your own childhood and your experiences in child care, school, and youth programs. Were there adults who worked in those programs who made you feel supported and welcomed? While you may first think of your favorite teacher or leader, school and program communities have many other staff members who support daily operations. Though front office, kitchen, and maintenance personnel do not directly care for children and youth, these staff members all contribute to high-quality child care programming and are important members of child care communities. All center personnel have a responsibility to be knowledgeable about child abuse and neglect and to do their part in creating program environments that promote family and child resilience and prevent abuse and neglect. As a support staff member in an early childhood or school-age program, you have opportunities to connect with children, youth, and families, and you may be privy to information or you may observe things unknown to direct care staff or program leadership. Consider this scenario:

Abigail’s story is a reminder that stressful circumstances can make it difficult for adults to provide nurturing interactions and may put children at risk of abuse or neglect. Remember that no gesture on your behalf, such as saying hello, smiling, or giving a high-five, is too small to make a difference and build a connection with a child, family member, or coworker. These positive interactions help you build relationships and help children see you as a trusted adult they can seek out if they are in need. Research suggests that children who have a formal or informal “mentor-like” relationship with an adult outside their home are less likely to struggle with depression or bullying. Further, children with mentor-like adults in their lives are more likely to participate in activities and engage in school. Relationships also help you understand each child’s uniqueness and help you act in each child’s best interests. This includes taking important steps to prevent child abuse and neglect in the program where you work.

What is Child Abuse and Neglect?

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, child abuse and neglect generally falls into one of these four categories:

Who Commits Child Abuse and Neglect?

People who commit child abuse and neglect can come from all walks of life. Some risk factors are associated with an increased likelihood that someone might commit abuse or neglect. These include:

• Drug and alcohol abuse
• Difficulties controlling emotions, words, or behaviors
• Harsh approach to discipline
• Mental health issues
• Little knowledge of child development
• History of maltreatment as a child

Familial and Institutional Abuse and Neglect

When a child is abused or neglected by a parent, guardian, or family member, it is called familial abuse. This type of abuse typically happens in the child’s home.

Institutional abuse or neglect occurs outside the home in community or private settings. This type of abuse or neglect is also known as out-of-home or extrafamilial abuse or neglect. This type of abuse typically involves a child and an adult in a supervisory role, like a teacher, caregiver, or volunteer.

Protective Factors

Protective factors are conditions or qualities that strengthen families, foster child development, and reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect. The table below provides an overview of the Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework that guides efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect.

The same protective factors that help families cope with challenges apply to all of us. Let’s explore each of the protective factors and how they might apply to your work in a child care program. This material has been adapted from the Preventing Child Maltreatment and Promoting Well-Being: A Network for Action 2013 Resource Guide by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

• Adult resilience: You likely encounter unexpected situations and difficulties in your work, and your resilience helps you cope with the stress of these situations and effectively manage how to problem-solve or move forward. For a staff member who works in food service at a child care program, news that the weekly shipment of food will arrive two days late, would likely be very stressful. A resilient staff member in this situation will work with the program administrator to assess available resources and food to problem-solve what needs to happen to ensure that children receive meals and snacks, with adherence to licensing and other regulations.
• Knowledge of child development: Understanding typical child development and behavior is critical for all staff members. Unrealistic expectations for children’s behavior are major risk factors for child abuse and neglect. A support staff member who works in building maintenance may notice that when fixing a leaking toilet in a preschool classroom that the children are very curious. They ask a lot of questions and want to touch the tools. Knowledge of child development allows a support staff member in this situation to recognize that this is very typical for preschoolers, and that direct and simple guidance, “You can look at my tools, but it's not safe for you to touch them” is most effective.
• Social connections: Child care programs are busy places, and there may be times when a direct supervisor is unavailable. Get to know other staff members and what they do in the program. This way, if you have a need or question, you have a good idea of the best person to turn to for help.
• Concrete supports: We all encounter situations at work where we need someone to help us. Depending on your role, you may be asked to briefly step in during an emergency to help a classroom maintain ratio. While it is not your primary goal to provide direct care to children, use this opportunity to help the staff in the classroom, help your administrator address the need, and ensure children are safe and appropriately supervised.
• Social and emotional competence of adults: You continue to develop social and emotional competence into adulthood, and it’s never too late to learn new skills that help you work with others. For specific strategies, review the Social Emotional Learning for Teachers Focused Topics course.  Though that course is intended for teachers, the information and strategies apply to everyone.

See

Programs can prevent child abuse and neglect by having a well-trained staff that understand the signs of abuse and neglect and promote the five protective factors. Reflect on some of the ways that your program promotes the protective factors:

• Facilitates friendships and mutual support for families. Does your program provide opportunities for families to interact with one another?
• Strengthens parenting. Does your program offer families learning experiences? For example, your program could offer programs on kindergarten readiness, responding to tantrums, or healthy eating tips.
• Responds to family crisis. Is your program a place where families can connect with resources around food, housing, employment, parent support programs, mental health services, and medical services?
• Facilitates children’s social and emotional development. Does your program help children develop social and emotional skills? You will learn more about how you can support children’s social emotional competence in this course.
• Observes and responds to early warning signs of abuse and neglect. Does your program help staff to understand and recognize signs of abuse and neglect?
• Values and supports parents? Does your program make efforts to engage with families and offer them leadership opportunities in the program?

Watch the video to learn more about ways your program prevents child abuse through supportive and healthy relationships with children and families.

Do

Although you do not work directly with the children in your program, there are things you can do to support children, families, and coworkers that promote protective factors. As you reflect on your role, think about how you can have positive interactions with each person you encounter at work. Consider the following relationship-building strategies:

• Initiate positive and friendly interactions with all children and adults in your program. Use their name, say hello, and ask how they are doing.
• Maintain a sense of calm, even during challenging moments. A calm demeanor can defuse uncomfortable or difficult circumstances.
• Offer to lend a hand when someone is in need. This thoughtful gesture goes a long way, even if the help needed is outside your role.
• Speak with someone from program leadership if you observe a concerning interaction or behavior, even if it is not abuse or neglect.

Completing this Course

To view a list of accompanying Learn, Explore, and Apply activities, review the Child Abuse Prevention for Support Staff Course Guide. Please note that the References & Resources section at the end of each lesson outlines sources and resources for additional information on the topics covered. As you complete lessons, you are not expected to review all the online references available. However, you are welcome to explore the resources further if you have interest, or at the request of your trainer, coach, or administrator.