What we say to ourselves impacts our choices and behavior. What we say to others can influence their choices and actions. Imagine the outcomes if we managed to shift our mindset and narrative toward prioritizing kids! A new narrative is essential to shift societal beliefs and behaviors toward supporting families and communities in safely caring for their children.
New research by the FrameWorks Institute, in partnership with Leading for Kids, reveals that adopting a collective caregiving frame can broaden societal thinking on the social conditions and structural support necessary for children and families to thrive. This idea aligns with recommendations from the California Child Welfare Council’s Prevention/Early Intervention (PEI) Committee, which advocates for a statewide narrative change initiative.
A narrative change is needed to support the shift from Mandated Reporting to Community Supporting. The PEI’s proposed narrative change mirrors the same philosophy as the Frameworks Institute, equating community supporting with collective caregiving. One initial narrative shift for California is to openly acknowledge the harm caused by mandated reporting and the child welfare system, particularly the disproportionate impact on Black/African American and Native American/Indigenous families, when unnecessary or inaccurate reports are made to child protection hotlines.
As a first step SPI encourages you to join the FrameWorks Institute webinar on Friday, September 27 at 9:00am PT, for a deeper dive into research on advancing a more supportive narrative for children. Speakers will be present from the Partnership for America’s Children, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Leading for Kids, and the FrameWorks Institute. You can register here.
Following this webinar, please join the conversation about what this new narrative should look like and what words matter most. Log on to CalPrevents to exchange ideas with parents, community members, people with lived experience, providers, public system partners, and faith-based leaders about the most important shared responsibility we all hold in common—our children.
Image Copyright: Narrative Initiative
