Strong kids come from strong families. Center for Family Strengthening helps families become and stay strong with programs to prevent child abuse and provide essential resources to support families in need within our community.
There are over 50,000 children in San Luis Obispo County. These are 50,000 reasons why we engage the broader community to work together with individual families to prevent child abuse and neglect and to promote the social and emotional well-being of children and families.
Our work to build strong families to prevent abuse is much less costly than trying to treat the perilous effects of abuse and neglect after they have occurred. The major risk factors of abuse are poverty, substance abuse, poor mental health and generational child abuse within the family.
Ways you can support #StrongFamilies:
- Volunteer at your local Family Resource Center, even a very few hours makes a great positive difference.
- Become a mentor for a child. You can be a consistent, stable and caring adult. Your presence for even a short while makes a big impact.
- Serve on a Board of Directors at a family strengthening organization.
- Join a fundraising committee that supports programs that help families in need.
- Attend a community government meeting to voice the needs of families.
- Promote family serving organizations through your social media channels.
- Advocate for safe neighborhoods where families can grow and thrive.
- Contribute your expertise to emerging family strengthening initiatives.
- Learn about the concrete supports families need in order to achieve stability.
- Offer to babysit for a friend or family member. Parenting is hard work and everyone deserves a break now and then.
- Become a parent educator and provide tools and a support network for parents.
- Participate with your local food bank, shelter or church program to help families during tough times.
- Support an organization that helps families.
