Family strengthening and support programs focus on addressing gaps in the community s continuum of family-focused services. Although there is often debate about the relative importance of specific factors in youth development, the literature leaves little doubt that family life plays a critical role in social functioning. Hawkins et al.
Family dysfunction is an equally important predictor of delinquency.
This section describes programs or services specifically identified by sites as falling under the family strengthening and support component and also family strengthening services provided under other components. In most SafeFutures communities, family strengthening services were offered as part of programs providing youth services funded though other SafeFutures components, such as the delinquency prevention program or services for at-risk and delinquent girls components. Although those programs, and others, made efforts to engage and provide services to parents, their primary focus for the most part was youth services. Family strengthening generally represented a relatively small share of the services provided in multiservice programs. Case management and counseling for parents or siblings were typically provided in conjunction with similar services for SafeFutures youth.