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Organization: Exchange Club CASTLE Program Name : Safe Families Funder: Children ' s Services Advisory Committee RFP #6067 PROPOSAL NARRATIVE A. ORGANIZATION CAPABILITY (Entire Section A not to exceed one page) 1 . Provide the mission statement and vision of your organization . The mission of the Exchange Club CASTLE is to improve the quality of family life while preventing child abuse and neglect, by providing community education, support and resources for families in need of assistance . The CASTLE envisions a community where each child is allowed to grow to his or her full potential, free from abuse and neglect, and families have access to the supports they need to create health livin and learnin environments for children. 2 . Provide a brief summary of your organization including areas of expertise, accomplishments, and population served. The CASTLE began in 1981 , and now serves as the model for a national network of child abuse prevention centers that span 107 locations in 27 states . With an involved, active Board of Directors , and an Executive Director, Theresa Garbarino -May, who is beginning her 181h year at the helm of the agency, the CASTLE is known for its steady leadership and quality programs . The CASTLE received national accreditation this year from the Council on Accreditation. This distinction ensures that the CASTLE "meets the highest national standards for professional practice" in its programs and services . The CASTLE also received recognition for its Valued Visits program, which was selected to be the featured program at the Violence Against Women' s Office conference this year in Duluth, Minnesota. The CASTLE offers an array of services designed to prevent child abuse, and cultivate the parent-child relationship . Our core program Safe Families , offers long term, home based, parenting skills development. Other programs offered by the CASTLE include : Families First, a training seminar for divorcing parents ; High Hopes for Kids , offering support to children whose parents have divorced; Positive Parenting, a support group for parents facing difficulties raising their children ; Healthy Families , providing home based services to pregnant women and newborns ; Valued Visits , a supervised visitation center, and our newest program, Co-Parenting, a support group aimed at helping divorced parents reduce conflict surrounding shared custody. CASTLE services utilize best practices, and a continuous quality improvement model . The population served is : families who are at risk for abusing or neglecting their children ; families who have had a reported incident of abuse or neglect, but who , with support and education, can eliminate further episodes of abuse ; families with children 0- 18 ; and families who live within Indian River County. This year ' s demographics indicate that 44% of enrolled families are single mothers or fathers, 60% are White, 19 % are Hispanic and 21 % are Black. 73 % of enrolled parents are under 40 years old. 4