Executive Director’s
Message
Nurturing and effective parenting are critical to
children’s development, health, and lifelong well-being.
All children need parents who can identify, meet, and advocate
for their needs. While all parents want to do their best, they
cannot always do it alone. By recognizing and building upon
existing strengths within the family and community, we can
partner with parents and caregivers as they work to strengthen
their families and provide a safe, loving environment for their
children.
Each of the programs provided by The Exchange
Club/Stephens Center works with children and families in our
community to achieve the following goals which have been proven
to protect children from the risk of child abuse and neglect:
Increase nurturing and attachment
*Improve knowledge of positive parenting skills
*Increase knowledge of child and youth
development
*Promote parental resilience
*Widen the family’s network of social
connections and community supports
Child abuse prevention through in-home visitation
is the most effective and most economically feasible approach
available today. Removing children from abusive homes and placing
them in foster care is not the answer contrary to what most
people believe. Here’s why – there are not enough
foster homes to serve the number of children removed, foster care
and group homes require enormous amounts of income to serve only
a few children (($32,000.00 - $45,000.00 per child per year), and
most children removed are placed back in the same abusive home
after a period of time. We must work in the home with the
children’s parents to replace negative parenting practices
with nurturing, positive parenting skills. We must help provide
these families with the education and social supports necessary
for them to keep their children safe and to function
independently. This is the only way to produce a real change for
children in our society on a large scale. This is the only way to
truly break the cycle of abuse and neglect.
Our programs reach hundreds of children each year
at costs ranging from $425.00 to $1,843.00 per child per year.
Your financial contribution plays a large part in creating safe
homes and communities for children. Thank you for your love for
children and for your support.
Sincerely,
Carolyn Isbell
Executive Director
