Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance

Pfsa works with a statewide network of community based child abuse prevention programs. We provide training on the evidence based parenting program act: raising safe kids, monthly webinars designed to assist professionals in working with families who are struggling with substance use disorder, neglect, the impact of incarceration on children- just to name a few. Pfsa develops and distributes positive parenting publications that help parents and grandparents address hard issues with children like developing a Family social media policy and sexting. Pfsa disseminates information on child welfare legislation and best practices for working with parents and grandparents who are raising their grandchildren.

Pfsa believes every person has a role to play in keeping children safe, however, most individuals do not instinctively know how to respond when they feel a child is not safe. Pfsa offers community groups a research informed training called the front porch project designed to give concrete examples for intervening in public or in the community when a child is at risk for maltreatment.

Pa's child protective services law identifies certain professionals and volunteers as mandatory reporters of child abuse. Pfsa provides training for mandated reporters on child abuse recognition and reporting so they can best protect pa's children, their organization and know their legal protections and liabilities as mandated reporters outlined in the law. Training is provided in person to more than 25,000 individuals annually and thousands more through a web based on line program. Pfsa administers a train the trainer program to assist child serving organizations and institutions provide pfsa's curriculum to their staff and volunteers with training and technical assistance from pfsa staff and child welfare expert trainers.

Pfsa designed and introduced families in recovery, a parenting program for parents in recovery from substance use disorder. The program is designed to be delivered in 7 sessions at 2 hours per session with flexible program implementation. Pfsa provides training, ongoing technical assistance, data collection assistance and outcome reports. This program is offered throughout pa and in many other states.