Children and families in the United States lack the support they need—and some more than others. This is directly tied to how we think and talk about children in our society.

If we want to build demand for communities, environments, and systems that allow each and every child to thrive, we will need a bigger and better narrative about what it means to care for kids. The good news is, with the right framing strategy, we can more effectively put children and families at the center of our public conversation and decision-making.

This report outlines a new framing strategy that does just this: the frame of Collective Caregiving. This strategy emerged from three years of in-depth research that FrameWorks Institute has conducted in partnership with Leading for Kids and other children’s advocates. The report includes a description of the strategy, the evidence behind it, the research methods we used, and recommendations for putting the strategy into action.

For a shorter summary of the strategy and specific tips for incorporating it into your communications, please find the Collective Caregiving strategic brief here.

Collective Caregiving: A Frame for Talking About What Kids and Families Need to Thrive