Addressing the Needs of Vulnerable Families: The Use of Strengthening Families™ in QRIS

A quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) is a systemic approach to assess, improve, and communicate the level of quality in early and school-age care and education programs. The Strengthening Families™ approach, developed by the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), is a research-based, strategy to increase family strengths, enhance child development, and reduce child abuse and neglect. The Strengthening Families approach can be integrated on multiple levels into existing programs, strategies, and systems. A growing number of states are utilizing the Strengthening Families approach in their QRIS. This document provides information on ways that States have incorporated this approach into their QRIS.