For the past couple of years, the Family Support Centers of Utah has worked with Governor Gary Herbert to officially declare the five weeks in between Mother's Day and Father's Day as Utah Family Month. Those five weeks are dedicated to reaching families in every community throughout the state of Utah and helping them receive the tools and services they need in order to help prevent child abuse and neglect and to help strengthen their own families.
During Utah Family Month, all the Family Support Centers in Utah hold a community kite flying event that is used as an activity for families to do something together while symbolically showing how they can be lifted and strengthened through meaningful time together. All Utah Family Month events include activities that promote the Five Protective Factors - Providing Parents with Support in Times of Need, Enhancing Parental Resilience, Providing Opportunities for Social Connections, Facilitating Community Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development, and Supporting the Development and Well-Being of Children. Research studies support the common-sense notion that when these Five Protective Factors are well established in a family, the likelihood of child abuse and neglect diminishes. Research also shows that these Protective Factors are also “promotive” factors that build family strengths and a family environment that promotes optimal child and youth development.