Safe, stable, nurturing relationships are key to a child’s cognitive, emotional, physical and social development. Their first exposure to these are through parents and caregivers, but these relationships don’t happen in a vacuum. The physical and social environment surrounding families have a significant impact – both positively and negatively – on the context in which relationships develop. One way to think about this context is through community norms. Norms are defined as a those values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors in a “group”. (Some may call this the group’s “culture”.)

 Goal #3 of the CDC’s Essentials for Childhood (EfC) Framework is “Create the context for healthy children and families through norms change and programs”. In order to promote positive community norms, you must first establish a baseline. In 2016, Kansas Power of the Positive conducted a statewide social norms survey to do just that. Using this data (as well as other sources such as those in outlined in our August blog), communities can identify and prioritize potential opportunities to develop a portfolio of strategies to support building stronger community environments. Here are some suggestions to consider from the CDC:

• Promote the community norm that we all share responsibility for the well-being children (It really does take a village!)
• Promote positive community norms about parenting programs and acceptable parenting behaviors (As our friends at KCSL say, “Kids don’t come with a manual”. How can we make it safe for families of all types to ask for help without feeling shamed or judged?)
• Implement evidence-based programs for parents and caregivers. (This includes increasing access to those programs that already exist across our state. If it takes a village, what are some ways that you can promote parenting education for anyone who looks after your community’s kids?)

As always, we’d love to hear your stories of how your community is working to promote positive social norms. Feel free to post them here or send them to us and we’ll share them for you.

Until next time…