Robin on Strengthening Families

Robin Mackey has worked with Alabama Partnership for Children (APC) for the past two and a half years and she coordinates Strengthening Families for the state. Prior to joining APC, Robin worked in a variety of settings with children, youth, and families as a licensed social worker. We posted about Strengthening Families back in January, but we wanted to hear Robin’s vision for the initiative...

Through my work at APC, I’ve been involved in communities across the state to implement the Strengthening Families Protective Factors framework within agencies and early care and education settings. I enjoy this work, and its connection to Help Me Grow, because I believe in the power of families. I see Strengthening Families and Help Me Grow as strategies which families can parlay into a customized support network.

Strengthening Families is not a program, but it is a framework of Protective Factors that can be embedded into any organization. The five Protective Factors are:
- Parental Resilience
- Social Connections
- Concrete Support in Times of Need
- Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development
- Social and Emotional Competence of Children

HMG services such as developmental screening and surveillance reinforce Strengthening Families Protective Factors within a family’s daily life. Help Me Grow provides a much needed in-road for families to access developmental screening, surveillance, and services. It promotes all five Protective Factors for families who engage with Help Me Grow, fortifying families, and extending the impact of the Strengthening Families Initiative.

If you have any questions, I hope you’ll contact me at rmackey@smartstartalabama.org or (256) 310-6621.