Five for Families is a statewide public awareness campaign developed as a universal prevention strategy by the Wisconsin Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board. The primary goal of the campaign is to increase knowledge of the Protective Factors Framework.
While the target audiences for the Protective Factors Framework are family support professionals and policy makers, Five for Families translates this framework into everyday language for parents, caregivers, friends, neighbors and community members to message the 5 essential strengths that keep every family strong. Five for Families language was developed in partnership with parents, caregivers and family support professionals. Within the campaign the Protective Factors are called the 5 Strengths. Each strength corresponds to a Protective Factor.
5 Strengths
Helping Kids Understand Feelings
Parenting as Children Grow
Connecting with Others
Building Inner Strength
Knowing How to Find Help
Protective Factors
Social and Emotional Competence of Children
Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development
Social Connections
Parental Resilience
Concrete Supports in Times of Need
The central feature of the Five for Families campaign is a website, FiveforFamilies.org, where viewers will find a variety of resources to increase their understanding of the protective factors.
A variety of print and video materials were developed to inspire parents to visit the Five for Families website to learn more about the 5 Strengths. Once on the website, users find information on why strength matters and on each of the 5 Strengths, video testimonials from Wisconsin parents and grandparents, exercises that guide understanding and offer new ideas for building family strength, and a place for users to share what makes your family strong. Efforts to publicize the website include bus wraps, billboards, social media, posters, rack cards and an illustrated promotional video shown in movie theaters and on Facebook. A toolkit with message guidance and how to access materials is available on “About Us” section of the Five for Families website. For more information about Five for Families contact Becky Mather, Education Coordinator for the Wisconsin Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board, at rebecca.mather@wisconsin.gov.