Protective Factors
This protective factor refers to a parent’s ability to cope with and bounce back from challenges, stress, and adversity.
What is Parental Resiliency?
This reflective technique encourages parents to focus on what went well and what strengths they used in a challenging situation.
What is Affirming Strengths/Strengths-Based Reflection?
This is the foundation of all home visiting work and requires being dependable, respectful, and nonjudgmental.
What is building rapport and trust?
This protective factor refers to having friends, family, and other people to turn to for emotional support, advice, and practical help.
What is social connections?
By listening without judgment and validating feelings, parent educators use this skill to help parents feel heard and less alone.
What is Active Listening and Emotional Support?
This key skill involves being fully present, paying close attention, and showing understanding through words and body language.
What is active listening?
This protective factor involves parents having accurate information about child development and appropriate expectations for their child’s behavior.
What is knowledge of parenting and child development?
This planning tool helps parents identify sources of stress, name their coping strategies, and come up with new ones to try.
What is a Stress Management Plan?
When you keep this — by doing what you say you’ll do and being on time — you show families you are reliable and trustworthy.
What is keeping commitments?
This protective factor is about making sure families can meet basic needs and have access to help during a crisis.
What is concrete support in the time of need?
By helping parents set realistic, achievable goals and breaking them into steps, this PAT strategy builds confidence and reduces overwhelm.
What is Goal Setting with Families?
This type of communication avoids using jargon or lecturing, and instead invites collaboration and understanding.
What is using clear and respectful language?
This protective factor is seen when children are able to express and manage their feelings, develop positive relationships, and show empathy.
What is Social and Emotional Competence of Children?
This PAT visit component teaches parents about how stress impacts parenting and introduces self-care and problem-solving strategies.
What is the Parent Handout on Coping with Stress/Parental Resilience?
This skill helps you see situations from the parent’s perspective, understand their feelings, and respond in a way that shows you care.
What is empathy?