Toward a Stakeholder-Informed Conceptualization of Family Flourishing In Child Welfare: A Concept Mapping Study

Background:

US Child welfare systems have long been criticized for disproportionately surveilling and separating families from structurally marginalized communities, resulting in higher rates of investigation, placement, and prolonged system involvement. These issues have prompted calls to reimagine child welfare as a well-being-oriented system. Such a shift requires clear conceptual frameworks to define and measure family thriving, and the literature on human flourishing offers a promising foundation. Human flourishing has emerged as a multidimensional framework for understanding well-being beyond the absence of illness, encompassing positive functioning, meaning and purpose, relationships, and overall quality of life. Despite growing scholarship, research has largely focused on individuals, with limited attention to how flourishing is conceptualized within families. Additionally, while recent efforts have increasingly emphasized the inclusion of stakeholders with lived experience, no prior work has explicitly examined or defined family flourishing within the context of child welfare through participatory processes. This study used Concept Mapping, a structured participatory mixed-methods approach, to elicit and organize stakeholder-informed conceptualizations of family flourishing.

Methods:

Participants included families with lived experience (n=11) as well as research, policy, and practice leaders (n=10). In brainstorming sessions, participants responded to the focal prompt “I will know that families are flourishing when_______.”, generating 237 statements that were synthesized into 108 unique items. Then, participants sorted the statements into conceptually similar groups and rated them on priority (how important to measure) and impact (how difficult to change) using a 5-point Likert scale. Multidimensional scaling generated a point map representing the spatial arrangement of statements, followed by hierarchical cluster analysis that produced cluster solutions. The final cluster solution was selected through participatory processes. Pattern match analyses examined the relationships between priority and impact ratings and differences across racial groups and gender. Go Zone analyses identified statements above the mean on both dimensions. Final cluster labels and interpretations were refined through participant discussion.

Results:

The final 11-cluster solution demonstrated acceptable fit (stress value=0.30) and spanned multiple domains, including structural (e.g., access to resources and safety), relational (e.g., connection and belonging), and higher-order dimensions (e.g., self-actualization and contributions to the community). The highest-priority clusters were: (1) family nurturing systems and community (priority M =4.02; impact M =2.56), (2) capacity to pursue opportunities and growth (priority M =4.00; impact M =2.67), and (3) family-driven resource allocation (priority M =3.97; impact M =2.29). Priority ratings were consistently high (3.50-4.02), whereas impact ratings were lower (2.24-3.00). Pattern match analyses indicated a negative correlation (r = -0.28) between priority and impact. Subgroup analyses suggested variation in how domains were prioritized across racial and gender groups. Go-zone analysis identified a subset of high priority, high impact statements as actionable targets.

Conclusion and Implications:

Stakeholder-defined family flourishing may extend beyond problem reduction to include structural, relational, developmental, and existential dimensions. This study contributes preliminary, stakeholder-informed insights into how family flourishing may be conceptualized in child welfare contexts. Findings can inform future research aimed at refining definitions and developing outcome measures and interventions to support family flourishing.