Sources of Family Support and Their Association with Child and Family Well-Being

Abstract

As both adverse and positive experiences in childhood can have enduring effects on health and well-being, identifying factors that promote optimal child development can have lifelong effects. Flourishing is a measure of overall well-being that includes positive mental health, emotional well-being, social behaviors and relationships. This study examines social supports that may enable families to thrive and to provide nurturing environments for child development, promoting flourishing even in challenging times. The study builds on prior research by examining social supports across socioecological levels and examining relationships between child and family well-being at the population level. This study found that children were more likely to flourish when their family had each of the social supports examined: emotional support, neighborhood support, and family-centered care. The prevalence of flourishing increased with more supports, and in all age groups children whose families reported all three of the supports had the highest increased likelihood of flourishing compared to children whose families reported no supports (aPRR = 1.29 for young children, 1.27 for school aged children, and 1.48 for adolescents). Additionally, there was a significant positive association between each of the social supports and family resilience, defined as the capacity of the family system to withstand and rebound from adversity. Children whose families reported all three of the supports had the highest increased likelihood of family resilience compared to those that reported no supports (aPRR = 1.41 for young children, 1.29 for school aged children, and 1.48 for adolescents). Further, family resilience partially mediated the associations between the supports and flourishing, with the proportion mediated ranging from 8.0-23.2%. Finally, the study found no association between living in states with more comprehensive family leave policies and both child flourishing and family resilience. The high degree of variability observed in the state-level prevalence of flourishing and resilience suggests the presence of other more salient predictors of well-being. This study highlights the benefits of social supports for children and families, as well as the crucial role that families have in supporting child development and well-being across the lifespan. Policies and practices that support parents and promote family well-being and resilience are crucial for enabling all children to thrive. Further research can expand our understanding of individual variation in the use of supports and how the supports promote child and family well-being.