{"id":4771,"date":"2022-02-18T13:56:59","date_gmt":"2022-02-18T19:56:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/icfw\/?p=4771"},"modified":"2026-04-13T15:19:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T20:19:00","slug":"strong-families-thriving-children-connected-communities-initiative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/icfw\/strong-families-thriving-children-connected-communities-initiative\/","title":{"rendered":"Strong Families, Thriving Children, Connected Communities Initiative"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Reimagining Neglect Prevention Through Local Leadership and Systemic Change<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Strong Families, Thriving Children, Connected Communities (SFTCCC)<\/strong> is a statewide initiative that empowers changemakers to reimagine how we strengthen families and prevent child neglect. It moves beyond crisis response to build conditions where families can truly thrive\u2014addressing root causes of neglect such as poverty, social isolation, and community underinvestment. Powered by lived experience, cross-sector collaboration, and continuous learning, SFTCCC brings people together to lead change from the ground up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"SFTCCC<\/figure>
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Coming soon! <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Live welcome for changemakers new to Strong Families, Thriving Children, Connected Communities. May 5th at 12pm CDT<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Challenge<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Children thrive when they have regular interactions with responsive, caring adults. Families experiencing significant stressors related to financial insecurity, housing instability, or the impact of systemic and interpersonal trauma can be overloaded with stress, interrupting those interactions. Families that are experiencing this overload of stress are at greater risk for having neglect identified as a threat to their child\u2019s safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Child neglect represents a critical social justice issue, with 37% of all children in the US experiencing a Child Protective Services (CPS) investigation before age 18. In Wisconsin, neglect accounts for 54% of all CPS reports and is a primary or contributing factor in 65% of family separations into foster care. These statistics reveal a system that struggles to distinguish between neglect and poverty, with systemic issues like housing instability, underemployment, racial inequities, social isolation, and inadequate access to community resources creating conditions where overloaded families become vulnerable to adverse experiences and family separation. We believe that there are pathways forward to preventing many of these separations from happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SFTCCC\u2019s Vision<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conditions that lead to neglect are complex, extending beyond any single system or solution. SFTCCC envisions a Wisconsin where every child and family thrives, free from the threat of neglect and separation. Our goal is to reduce family separations for reasons of neglect by building a community focused on collaboratively pursuing policies and practices that support overloaded families and address systemic failings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What We\u2019ve Built Together<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

SFTCCC is not a program; it\u2019s a growing ecosystem of people and places advancing shared goals through diverse approaches. As a field catalyst, the Institute for Child and Family Well-Being (ICFW) strategically connects fragmented stakeholders, builds local capacity, and facilitates conversations that challenge existing paradigms. Through roundtables, collaborative workshops, data walks, storytelling, podcasting, and continuous learning, ICFW builds shared understanding while remaining adaptive and responsive to community needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together, SFTCCC has:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n