The article is devoted to problems of institutionalization of innovative help practices to families and children in crisis; presents results of the analysis of the data of sociological research (2013), including a survey of social service experts, the analysis of official documents of the Regional Government (56 regions), also Federal and regional normative legal acts in the sphere of children protection. The study aims to identify the most effective and innovative regional and municipal practices and individual initiatives of social support to families and children in difficult life situation (crisis), to generalize the results of the implementation of these practices, and develop a model of organization of social support to families and children in difficult life situations. The article presents the results of the conceptual analysis of the recently emerged in Russia family-oriented approach in the organization of social assistance to children with a high risk of losing parental care; the system of basic notions characterizing the description of practical activities on social support to families and children in difficult life situation (early detection and early assistance) and in a socially dangerous situation; describes the mechanisms of the regulatory-legal regulations for subjects of prevention against families in socially dangerous situation and ways of their further optimization. Based on the study of leading regional and municipal practices for the protection of children, basic levels of family ill-being prevention have been outlined and a 4‑stage model of social interventions adequate to each level has been developed.