In February of 2025, Childhood Prosperity Lab (the Lab) led the second North Hartford Ascend Strengthening Families Protective Factors Community of Practice with 12 service providers and leaders. The Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework (SFPFF) is a research-informed and strength-based framework that helps professionals and families identify and build protective factors (Children’s Trust Fund Alliance, 2023). Kirsten Carlone was one of 12 participants in the inaugural North Hartford Ascend Strengthening Families Protective Factors Community of Practice. To learn more about her experience and insights from the Community of Practice, we sat down with Kirsten to reflect on the impact of this work and what it means for families in North Hartford.
Can you share more about 211 Child Development?
211 Child Development is a specialized unit of United Way of Connecticut. We support children’s healthy growth and development, starting from pregnancy. Our care coordinators work with families to understand their needs, connect them with the best service, and follow up to ensure the families’ needs have been met. We serve as the access point to Connecticut’s Early Intervention System, Birth to Three. We also provide families with access to the Help Me Grow system, which links families to local community-based services and resources such as developmental screening, home visiting, parenting education, parent-to-parent support, behavioral health support, and advocacy.
What statistic, theory, or discussion point from the Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework community of practice resonated the most with you?
The discussion point that resonated with me the most was from the Concrete Support session. During the session, we listened to an audio clip from an educational consultant who shared an experience she had working with a childcare provider. In the clip, the childcare provider shared concerns for a child’s well-being, but failed to consider the parent’s perspective and situation. The clip highlighted the importance of making connections with families so that we can better understand and support them during challenging situations. This discussion has helped me reframe my thinking, and I have since adjusted the way I communicate and connect with families. This concept also applies outside of work; you never know what someone may be going through.
How has learning about the Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework changed the way you think about and approach your work?
I’ve always recognized the importance of a strength-based approach when working with families, but learning about the protective factors has helped me shift my mindset and better understand the impact. Every day, families contact us to help with their unique situation, some tougher than others. It is so easy to focus on the issue at hand and forget to acknowledge the good in that tough situation. The protective factors have helped me approach my interactions with families with a newer perspective. I now strive to point out the “bright spots” and emphasize what is going well while still providing the support the parent was initially seeking. By doing so, I have noticed that parents seem more self-assured and at ease about their situation.
What has your observed impact been on those you work with as a result of this experience?
I am one of the first on my team to experience this training, so I have not yet observed the impact among my colleagues. However, I have noticed an impact on the families I speak with. As I previously stated, I have become more aware of the way I interact with families. Instead of just providing parents with the resources/information they ask for, I try to make a connection in some way to strengthen their resilience. In doing so, I have noticed that the parents I speak with are more open and willing to continue working with me.
Is there a particular protective factor that is showing up in your work the most?
I would say there are two protective factors that show up in our work the most: Concrete Support in Times of Need and Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development. At 211 Child Development, we support families by providing them with access to services and child development related information. When a family calls us, we take the time to complete an intake to assess their needs and explain their options. We offer support that best fits the families’ needs, whether that be sharing information on various parenting topics, such as behavior management, or making connections to community-based programs and services. We also help families understand and track their child’s development by providing access to developmental screening.