As established in 33 V.S.A. § 3701, Parent Child Centers (PCCs) are community-based non-profit organizations established for the purpose of providing prevention, early intervention and early child development services to prospective parents and families with young children including those with children who are medically, socio-economically or developmentally at risk. To this end PCC’s implement practices aligned with the Strengthening Families Framework articulated by the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP). These practices are designed to build protective factors in families as a primary prevention strategy to protect children from abuse and neglect. The Department for Children and Families supports the Strengthening Families Framework which identifies five protective factors that research indicates enhance child and family well-being:

• Parental resilience
• Social connections
• Knowledge of parenting and child development
• Concrete support in times of need
• Social and emotional competence of children

Parent Child Centers serve prospective parents and families with young children including those with children who are medically, socio-economically or developmentally at risk.

Parent Child Centers have an impact in several ways, including:

• Promote the health and well-being of children prenatal – age 6 and their families and build protective factors in families and children that are known to reduce child abuse and neglect.
• Support community-based efforts to develop, operate, expand, enhance, and coordinate initiatives, programs, and activities to prevent child abuse and neglect and to support the coordination of resources and activities to better strengthen and support families to reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect; and to foster understanding, appreciation and knowledge of diverse populations in order to effectively prevent and treat child abuse and neglect.