June 12, 2014
Resiliency. It’s a buzz word we’ve heard more about in child welfare circles in recent years, but educating our communities on what it actually means can be a challenge.
When SCAN developed its Kids Need Connections campaign earlier this year, the importance of resiliency was at the heart of every discussion. First, how can we help parents understand what resiliency is? Second, how can we empower community members to be aware of resiliency in their community? And finally — how can we give professionals the tools they need to assess and build resiliency in children and families?
With the official launch of the campaign in April, SCAN began sharing a series of tools related to resiliency, including:
- Kids Need Connections bookmarks & posters
- Building Resiliency page on our Parent Resource Center
- Resiliency: What is it? Fact Sheet (English and Spanish)
We’re also thrilled to share a brand new resource this month: Children’s Books that Build Resiliency. We’ve provided a list of 15 children’s books, each with a specific set of questions to facilitate discussion with children around resiliency.
Our plan is to continue to develop tools like this, with a focus on resiliency in children, families and even professionals in child welfare. One place we’re collecting ideas is Pinterest, on a board called “Children’s Stories that Build Resiliency,” here. We’d love to hear from you — what are some other resiliency-building resources or exercises you use in your work with children and families? Please share in the comments below!