Friends for Families is a home-visitation program serving families at-risk of child abuse or neglect who have at least one child in the home who is twelve or younger. A Center staff member or trained Volunteer Parent Aide visits weekly in the home to teach positive, non-violent parenting skills, discipline, and communication. Through our weekly support and education, these families are able to replace abusive or neglectful behaviors with healthy, nurturing parenting skills. During 2007 - 2008, the Friends for Families staff members and volunteers completed 1,040 home visits with 144 Parents and 174 Children in Putnam, Overton, and Cumberland Counties.

Healthy Start is a home-visitation program designed to help Pre-natal, First-time and Teen Parents give their children a Healthy Start. Through weekly home-visits, Stephens Center staff members provide emotional support and help parents learn practical skills to cope with the new job of parenting. Healthy Start emphasizes a nurturing relationship between parent and child, developmental activities and screenings, immunizations, well-child check-ups, and school readiness. Healthy Start services are extremely important in the effort to reduce Tennessee’s high rate of infant mortality. In 2007 – 2008, the Healthy Start staff completed 1,928 home-visits with 302 Parents and 171 Children in Putnam, Overton, Jackson, and White Counties.

Parent-Child Connection is a parenting class employing video-based instruction, facilitated group discussion, and peer support. Parent-Child Connection offers parents, or anyone in a parenting role, a chance to learn practical parenting techniques, enhance their communication with their children, and replace negative parenting habits with positive, productive parenting skills. PCC is available at no charge to anyone who would like to attend. Classes are held in Putnam County at the YMCA, in Overton County at The Stephens Center, and in Cumberland County at the First United Methodist Church. During 2007 - 2008, 68 parents attended our classes. There were 84 children of these parents who benefited from the positive parenting skills learned in the classes.

Community Awareness Program Throughout the year, The Stephens Center conducts activities to educate the community about the programs we offer, about better parenting, and about recognizing and reporting child abuse. Examples of the Center’s Community Awareness Program activities include our annual Blue Ribbon Memorial Tree project, presentations to school, civic, church and business groups, special training seminars, Volunteer Parent Aide training, and public service announcements and articles. During the past year, 85 presentations were made to 8,238 Adults and 2,333 Children. A Community Awareness Program training or presentation can be scheduled by contacting The Exchange Club/Stephens Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse. Please consider us in your program planning!

To Report abuse or neglect,

Call the State of Tennessee 24-HR,

Toll Free Reporting Hotline:

1-877-237-0004

Imagination Library In Overton County, The Stephens Center coordinates the Imagination Library program which was created by Dolly Parton in 1996. Funded by the Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation and the Overton County Commission, this program provides a new, age-appropriate book each month to children from birth to age five at no cost to the family. Registration forms are available at numerous business locations in Overton County and at The Stephens Center. To find out more about The Imagination Library, visit www.governorsfoundation.org
or call The Stephens Center.