Strengthening Families
Children’s Trust Fund supports Wisconsin communities in the provision of services to prevent child abuse and neglect.
CAP Family Crisis Center provides assistance to victims of domestic violence and their families, friends and care providers. Services include shelter, a 24-hour-a-day toll-free crisis line, walk-in counseling, accompaniment for medical care and legal proceedings, referrals, and support groups. All services are free of charge (except DAAP) and confidential.
Family Voices of Wisconsin focuses its work on health care and community supports in three areas: education and information, including trainings, fact sheets and newsletters, Family Leadership activities, including our Advocacy for Change Institute and, public policy and systems change.
Parent Cafes
Parent Cafes allow parents and caregivers to come together to talk about the struggles and the joys of parenting. Parent Cafes are question led conversations based around the 5 Protective Factors – opposite of a risk factor, that allows us to look at the positives in a child/families life rather than the negative.
The Five Protective Factors include:
- Parent Resilience: To be strong and flexible, be able to hand challenges, recover and grow from the experience.
- Positive Social Connections / Relationships: A network of people who care, listen and share parenting values/help.
- Knowledge of Parent & Child Development: Being a parent is part natural and part learned. Children don’t come with a manual – we need to have tools in our parent toolbox.
- Concrete Support in Times of Need: Everyone needs help sometimes
- Social/Emotional Competence of Children: Help children communicating. Dealing with conflict, making friends, expressing emotions in a positive way.
Research from the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) and Strengthening Families™ of Illinois shows that when Protective Factors are present in a family, a family is stronger and children are safer. Through Parent Cafés, parents are working to build these Protective Factors in their families. For more information, visit Be Strong Families.
Tribal Information
Wisconsin is home to eleven federally recognized tribes each with a unique history and culture. On the DCF Tribal Affairs webpage you will find links to each tribe as well as inter-tribal organizations and initiatives. View the Tribal Events Calendar.
Military & Veteran Families
ZERO TO THREE has developed resources specially designed for military and veteran families and the professionals who serve them.
Babies on the Homefront App provides military and veteran parents ideas for enhancing everyday moments with their baby or toddler. Parents can sort information by their young child’s age and specify their situation as At Home, Leaving Soon, Deployed, Home Again, a Veteran, or visiting a hospital. The app also allows quick access to a series of vodcasts on parenting for military and veteran families.
Military Families Resources for Young Children | Sesame Street Explore parenting advice and tips to find information on self-expression, positive parenting, and answers to common concerns of military families.
Military Child Education Coalition | MCEC provides programs and resources to address the unique educational challenges that face military-connected children.
Special Needs
Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing provides information and referral services on a variety of topics tailored to the unique needs of Deaf, Deaf-blind, or Hard of Hearing residents.
WI Program for Children with Special Needs is dedicated to meeting families’ needs through a statewide coordinated system of information, referral and follow-up, parent to parent support, and service coordination through local public health departments and other community agencies.
Children’s Long Term Support (CLTS) and Family Support Program Wisconsin has three approved CLTS Waivers for children with developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, and severe emotional disturbances under age 22. The purpose of the waivers is to help families support their children with severe disabilities within their own home.
Well Badger Resource Center is your one-stop connection to community, social, health, and government programs — a place to find what you need, when you need it.
Supporting Families Together Association
SFTA is Wisconsin’s statewide member association for organizations and individuals committed to making every early childhood a great one. SFTA does this through services and supports including:
- Program Management
- Quality Assurance and Improvement
- Organizational Development
- Systems Building
- Professional Development and Networking
What are SFTA’s Priorities?
- Quality Early Care and Education: SFTA is committed to working with our community-based organizations to advocate, educate and build Wisconsin’s capacity to deliver high quality early care and education experiences to all of Wisconsin’s children.
- Healthy Children: SFTA is actively engaged in a broad range of prevention and health promotion efforts that are designed to create better health outcomes for all of Wisconsin’s children.
- Strong Families: SFTA provides concrete support to families in a strength-based and evidence-informed way.
- Responsive Systems: SFTA builds systems and supports to early childhood that result in opportunities for all children to reach their highest potential.
What is SFTA’s Role in YoungStar?
SFTA’s purpose is to optimize the developmental window of opportunity that early childhood presents for building a strong foundation for life. YoungStar plays a big part in how SFTA works to achieve this. SFTA has been with YoungStar since the beginning. Currently, SFTA administers YoungStar micro-grants and completes formal ratings. We subcontract with Wisconsin’s 10 Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies for all technical consultation services.
Want to Know More About SFTA?
Speak with an SFTA staff member at 1 (888) 713.KIDS (5437) or visit SFTA’s website for more information.
