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Place-based Initiatives (Child & Adolescent)

Scientific Ratings in this Topic
  • 1 Well-Supported by Research Evidence
  • 2 Supported by Research Evidence
  • 3 Promising Research Evidence
  • 4 Evidence Fails to Demonstrate Effect
  • 5 Concerning Practice
  • NR Not able to be Rated

Topic Areas

Topic Areas

Definition

Place-based Initiatives (Child & Adolescent) are defined by the CEBC as initiatives designed specifically to work across multiple sectors within neighborhoods or communities to prevent and/or address child maltreatment. Place-based initiatives seek to address the collective problems of families and communities at a local level, usually involving a focus on neighborhood-strengthening. While traditional interventions are person-based approaches, which focus on directly aiding an individual person or family with the problem regardless of the geographical location that they live, place-based initiatives focus instead on the entire social and physical environment in a particular geographic area, rather than the individual needs of those who live there. Place-based initiatives use community-based strategies to expand formal and informal resources and establish a normative cultural context capable of fostering collective responsibility for positive child development. Place-based initiatives utilize approaches that incorporate the community’s context, culture, strengths, and resources, as well as strategies that are tailored to local circumstances and needs.

  • Target population: Communities that are at risk for or show high levels of child maltreatment or endangerment
  • Services/types that fit: Community- or neighborhood-level programs that are aimed at creating supportive communities with residents that share a collective responsibility to protect children from harm and expanding the range of services and instrumental supports directly available to parents in the community
  • Delivered by: Organizations that promote child and family well-being in the context of utilizing collaborative community strategies that address child abuse and neglect through programs that promote positive parenting while considering the content, culture, and strengths of the neighborhood/community that the family resides
  • In order to be included: Program must focus at the community or neighborhood level and target outcomes related to family and child well-being, such as community safety, economic competitiveness, housing, employment, education, environmental sustainability, neighborhood improvement, transportation, and health and fitness.
  • In order to be rated: There must be research evidence (as specified by the Scientific Rating Scale) that examines maltreatment-related outcomes, such as abuse and neglect reports and abuse-related parenting behaviors, either observed or self-reported.

Definition

Place-based Initiatives (Child & Adolescent) are defined by the CEBC as initiatives designed specifically to work across multiple sectors within neighborhoods or communities to prevent and/or address child maltreatment. Place-based initiatives seek to address the collective problems of families and communities at a local level, usually involving a focus on neighborhood-strengthening. While traditional interventions are person-based approaches, which focus on directly aiding an individual person or family with the problem regardless of the geographical location that they live, place-based initiatives focus instead on the entire social and physical environment in a particular geographic area, rather than the individual needs of those who live there. Place-based initiatives use community-based strategies to expand formal and informal resources and establish a normative cultural context capable of fostering collective responsibility for positive child development. Place-based initiatives utilize approaches that incorporate the community’s context, culture, strengths, and resources, as well as strategies that are tailored to local circumstances and needs.

  • Target population: Communities that are at risk for or show high levels of child maltreatment or endangerment
  • Services/types that fit: Community- or neighborhood-level programs that are aimed at creating supportive communities with residents that share a collective responsibility to protect children from harm and expanding the range of services and instrumental supports directly available to parents in the community
  • Delivered by: Organizations that promote child and family well-being in the context of utilizing collaborative community strategies that address child abuse and neglect through programs that promote positive parenting while considering the content, culture, and strengths of the neighborhood/community that the family resides
  • In order to be included: Program must focus at the community or neighborhood level and target outcomes related to family and child well-being, such as community safety, economic competitiveness, housing, employment, education, environmental sustainability, neighborhood improvement, transportation, and health and fitness.
  • In order to be rated: There must be research evidence (as specified by the Scientific Rating Scale) that examines maltreatment-related outcomes, such as abuse and neglect reports and abuse-related parenting behaviors, either observed or self-reported.

Topic Expert

The Place-based Initiatives (Child & Adolescent) topic area was added in 2022. All of the programs in the topic area were identified by CEBC staff, the Scientific Panel, and/or the Advisory Committee and reviewed/rated by the CEBC staff.

Topic Expert

The Place-based Initiatives (Child & Adolescent) topic area was added in 2022. All of the programs in the topic area were identified by CEBC staff, the Scientific Panel, and/or the Advisory Committee and reviewed/rated by the CEBC staff.

Programs

Best Start

Best Start is First 5 LA’s strategy to advance community-identified solutions in 14 geographic areas/5 regions in Los Angeles County. These geographic areas have faced historic disenfranchisement and oppression through political, economic, social, and environmental factors that aggravate chronic family stressors such as violence and poverty. Despite these realities, these are sites of great strength and resiliency. For decades, champions and community leaders, along with parents of young children, have been working to create better futures for their children. Best Start is designed to help transform the systems supporting young children and their families, in a way that places the voice and experience of parents and residents in the center in developing solutions. These communities are reimagining what is possible through Best Start through the engagement of networks for collective advocacy, learning together, and building best practices to improve outcomes for children.

Scientific Rating NR

Communities that Care

Communities That Care (CTC) guides communities through a five-phase change process. Using prevention science as its base, CTC is designed to promote healthy youth development, improve youth outcomes, and reduce problem behaviors. The CTC process begins with a youth survey to identify a community’s risks and strengths. Based on these data, CTC helps communities select and implement tested & effective prevention programs and policies. CTC also helps amplify programs already working. Bach-Harrison provides surveys, analysis, and reporting services to communities. Implementing CTC involves steering a coalition through the 5 Phases of CTC, guided by the Milestones and Benchmarks.

Scientific Rating NR

Harlem Children’s Zone

The Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) is designed to end intergenerational poverty in Central Harlem and lead the way for other long-distressed communities nationwide and around the world to do the same.

HCZ aims to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty with on-the-ground, all-around programming that builds up opportunities for children and families to thrive in school, work, and life. From early childhood, education, and career programs to community outreach and wellness initiatives, HCZ hopes to open pathways to mobility and prosperity.

HCZ’s mission centers around the belief that the most powerful way to fight poverty is to invest in every opportunity for people to rise above it. From education and employment to housing and healthy living, HCZ aims to do whatever it takes so that Central Harlem’s children, families, and communities can live up to their promising futures.

Scientific Rating NR

Magnolia Place Community Initiative

Magnolia Place Community Initiative (MCI) uses a network approach to leverage resilience and community assets to combat the entrenched problems that children and families face. MCI believes the connections between the people and institutions of all sectors can drive positive community change. The research continues to build evidence for the importance of building, strengthening, and maintaining connections in the service of data-driven collective action that continuously monitors progress. MCI network tends to the number, variety, and depth of those connections in the 500-block catchment area.

MCI builds, tends to, and measures their network so that it:

  • Holds itself accountable to child and family well-being outcomes
  • Continuously uses, collects, analyzes, disseminates, and refines data for action
  • Brings together a variety of partners from different sectors and creates spaces for community participation and leadership
  • Fosters distributive leadership so that all network actors (agencies and residents) can have an equal opportunity to plan for and take collective action

Scientific Rating NR

Programs

Best Start

Best Start is First 5 LA’s strategy to advance community-identified solutions in 14 geographic areas/5 regions in Los Angeles County. These geographic areas have faced historic disenfranchisement and oppression through political, economic, social, and environmental factors that aggravate chronic family stressors such as violence and poverty. Despite these realities, these are sites of great strength and resiliency. For decades, champions and community leaders, along with parents of young children, have been working to create better futures for their children. Best Start is designed to help transform the systems supporting young children and their families, in a way that places the voice and experience of parents and residents in the center in developing solutions. These communities are reimagining what is possible through Best Start through the engagement of networks for collective advocacy, learning together, and building best practices to improve outcomes for children.

Scientific Rating NR

Communities that Care

Communities That Care (CTC) guides communities through a five-phase change process. Using prevention science as its base, CTC is designed to promote healthy youth development, improve youth outcomes, and reduce problem behaviors. The CTC process begins with a youth survey to identify a community’s risks and strengths. Based on these data, CTC helps communities select and implement tested & effective prevention programs and policies. CTC also helps amplify programs already working. Bach-Harrison provides surveys, analysis, and reporting services to communities. Implementing CTC involves steering a coalition through the 5 Phases of CTC, guided by the Milestones and Benchmarks.

Scientific Rating NR

Harlem Children’s Zone

The Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) is designed to end intergenerational poverty in Central Harlem and lead the way for other long-distressed communities nationwide and around the world to do the same.

HCZ aims to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty with on-the-ground, all-around programming that builds up opportunities for children and families to thrive in school, work, and life. From early childhood, education, and career programs to community outreach and wellness initiatives, HCZ hopes to open pathways to mobility and prosperity.

HCZ’s mission centers around the belief that the most powerful way to fight poverty is to invest in every opportunity for people to rise above it. From education and employment to housing and healthy living, HCZ aims to do whatever it takes so that Central Harlem’s children, families, and communities can live up to their promising futures.

Scientific Rating NR

Magnolia Place Community Initiative

Magnolia Place Community Initiative (MCI) uses a network approach to leverage resilience and community assets to combat the entrenched problems that children and families face. MCI believes the connections between the people and institutions of all sectors can drive positive community change. The research continues to build evidence for the importance of building, strengthening, and maintaining connections in the service of data-driven collective action that continuously monitors progress. MCI network tends to the number, variety, and depth of those connections in the 500-block catchment area.

MCI builds, tends to, and measures their network so that it:

  • Holds itself accountable to child and family well-being outcomes
  • Continuously uses, collects, analyzes, disseminates, and refines data for action
  • Brings together a variety of partners from different sectors and creates spaces for community participation and leadership
  • Fosters distributive leadership so that all network actors (agencies and residents) can have an equal opportunity to plan for and take collective action

Scientific Rating NR