Essentials for Childhood Framework: Creating Safe, Stable, Nurturing Relationships and Environments for All Children

Safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments are essential to prevent child abuse and neglect and to assure all children reach their full potential. The Essentials for Childhood Framework [5.5MB, 44Pages, 508] proposes strategies communities can consider to promote relationships and environments that help children grow up to be healthy and productive citizens so that they, in turn, can build stronger and safer families and communities for their children.

The Essentials for Childhood Framework is intended for communities committed to the positive development of children and families, and specifically to the prevention of child abuse and neglect. The framework has four goal areas and suggests strategies based on best available evidence to achieve each goal. While child abuse and neglect is a significant public health problem, it is also a preventable one. The strategies suggested in the Essentials for Childhood Framework — along with your commitment to preventing child abuse and neglect—can help create neighborhoods, communities, and a world in which every child can thrive.

States Implementing the Framework

CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention is funding five state health departments in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Washington to implement the four goals in the Essentials for Childhood Framework using a collective impact process. CDC also offers technical assistance and training to many other states that do not receive CDC funding but are engaged at varying levels in implementing the Essentials for Childhood Framework. State health departments:

• Coordinate and manage existing and new partnerships with other child abuse and neglect prevention organizations and non-traditional partners involved in assuring safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments for children
• Work with partners to identify and align strategies across sectors
• Identify, coordinate, monitor and report on the strategies implemented by multi-sector partners
• Document state-level impact of these efforts

Framework Resources

• Essentials for Childhood Framework: Fact Sheet [258KB, 1Page, 508]
• Essentials for Childhood: Steps to create safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments for all children [5.5MB, 44Pages, 508] is CDC’s framework that presents steps to reach the four goals.
  • Building Community Commitment for Safe, Stable, Nurturing Relationships and Environments [6MB, 16Pages, 508]
  • Promoting Positive Community Norms [1MB, 12Pages, 508]
  • Boost Your Competitive Edge: Actions for a Healthy, Productive Workforce [939KB, 12Pages, 508]
  • Making the Case: Engaging Businesses
  • Suggested Practices for Journalists Reporting on Child Abuse and Neglect [2.65MB, 12Pages, 508]
• Children Benefit When Parents Have Safe, Stable, Nurturing Relationships and Environments [213KB, 2Pages, 508]
• Slides from Webinar, 2013 [1.30MB, 8Pages, Print Only] about the Essentials for Childhood Framework.

Additional Resources

• Preventing Child Abuse & Neglect Fact Sheet [465KB, 2Pages, 508]
• Preventing Child Abuse & Neglect: A Technical Package for Policy, Norm, and Programmatic Activities [3.69MB, 52Pages, 508]
• Better Start: Child Maltreatment Prevention as a Public Health Priority [703KB, 7Pages, 508]