Three years of hosting Parent Cafés inside a county jail, and what happens when you treat people like people instead of prisoners.

Regional Parent Engagement Advisory Groups (RPEAs) are made up of parents who are ready to be the architects of change in the lives of children and families who have been trained in Parent Cafés and are committed to building Protective Factors. Meet the parents behind three RPEA Groups in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Chicago, sharing their Protective Factor stories, their goals, and what drives them to keep showing up for their communities.

“Obras son Amores No Buenas Razones” (Deeds Speak Louder than Words) … my mom, Ana Maria Gomez, used to say emphatically to my siblings and me a lot! I am a father who doesn’t say much, talk a lot about love, or expresses how much I love my family and friends… But oh man, do I enjoy it every time my wife or my children or my friends tell me they love me!

"Obras son Amores No Buenas Razones” ... solía decirnos mi mamá, Ana María Gómez enfáticamente a mí y a mis hermanos, ¡mucho!. Soy un papá que no dice mucho, que no habla mucho sobre el amor o que no expresa lo mucho que ama a su familia y amigos ... ¡Pero vaya que lo disfruto cada vez que mi esposa o mis hijos o amigos me dicen que me aman!

What happens when a family-strengthening organization turns its own wellness framework on itself? Be Strong Families first piloted the Journey to Vitality Workplace Wellness Program in-house, applying the six Vitality Domains to build a healthier organizational culture from the inside out.

Parenting doesn't stop at 18. With depression and anxiety at record highs for young adults — and social media amplifying every pressure — parents of emerging adults need a new playbook. Here are five tips for supporting your 20-something without taking over their life.

She walked in ready to lead youth to their greatness, and they glared back at her. What followed over the next several months was one of the most honest lessons in humility, presence, and what love actually looks like when you're working with young people who have every reason not to trust you.

El equipo de Abrazando Diversidad es la fuerza principal en los esfuerzos de Be Strong Families para modelar la inclusión, honrar la diversidad y promover la equidad y la justicia social en toda la organización al brindar servicios en otros idiomas; desarrollar/adaptar entrenamientos y otros recursos que se sientan auténticos y que respondan a diferentes poblaciones; así como el comunicarse abiertamente unos a otros y con los padres al reunirse con ellos donde ellos se encuentran.

The Abrazando Diversidad (Embracing Diversity) team is the main force in Be Strong Families' efforts to model inclusion, honor diversity, and promote equity and social justice throughout the organization by providing services in other languages; developing / adapting trainings and other resources that feel authentic and responsive to different populations; as well as communicating openly with each other and with parents to meet people where they are.

BSF's Guy Schingoethe is also a rock star — literally. His reflection on bringing your whole self to parenting and to work is a reminder that the people who show up most fully for their families are often the ones who never stopped doing what brings them joy.

When Germany approved a third gender on official documents in 2018, Kathryn saw an opening to ask bigger questions about gender, identity, and self-determination. Her reflection is both personal and philosophical.