Safe Environment for Every Kid (SEEK) Approach Tools
- SEEK was developed to take advantage of primary health care to help prevent child maltreatment. Considerable progress had been made identifying abused and neglected children, but much room remained (and remains) for preventing maltreatment – before it occurs. A review of the research literature revealed certain risk factors to be commonly associated with child abuse and neglect: parental depression, major stress, substance use, intimate partner violence, harsh punishment and food insecurity. This list is clearly not inclusive, but it prioritizes problems for which some services are often available. It was thought that if we could help with these problems, we should see fewer maltreated children. Importantly, we should also see stronger families, healthier parents and parenting, and children’s improved health, development and safety. This is the cascade SEEK hoped (and hopes) to set in motion.