Culturally Responsive Measurement Tool – Protective Factors: Updated report and in language tools

Published April 2, 2024

Editor’s note 3/9/26: This blog post has been updated with the latest CRMT-PF resource links and new links to the CRMT-PF in Somali and Vietnamese.

Since 2020, Best Starts for Kids has worked in partnership with The Capacity Collective, community-based early learning service providers, and families to develop a culturally responsive measurement tool to measure protective factors in King County families. Measuring protective factors is a strengths-based way of measuring supports and health in families and communities.

The Culturally Responsive Measurement Tool – Protective Factors (CRMT-PF) was originally published in June 2023. It is a survey with 22 questions measuring five protective factors: family resilience, knowledge of parenting & child development, social supports, concrete support, and caregiver/practitioner relationships.

We engaged in a community validation process and implementation study to ensure the tool is culturally responsive to families and community organizations and easy-to-use for organizations in two additional languages: Spanish and Simplified Chinese. This year Best Starts will complete the validation process for the Somali and Vietnamese tools and support Best Starts partners interested in utilizing the CRMT-PF through trainings and capacity building support.

We are excited to share out this new report, updated resources, in language CRMT-PF tools and celebrate the ways that diverse families in King County, and the programs that support them, keep their children happy, healthy, and thriving.