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Organization : Exchange Club CASTLE Program: Safe Families Funder: Children' s Services Advisory Committee RFP: #5054 C. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION (Entire Section C, 1 — 6, not to exceed two pages) 1 . List Priority Needs area addressed. Parental support and education . 2. Briefly describe program activities including location of services . 1 . Upon receiving a referral , a counselor visits the family, and assesses the need for home- based parent education (Safe Families) . This is accomplished through interview , observation , and completion of an initial needs assessment. To avoid duplication or overlap with other service providers , a review is done of all services being offered to the family . When necessary, and with consent, other service providers are contacted in order to coordinate services to the family. If eligible for Safe Families , the family will begin a program of regular visits , and a family plan , including specific goals , will be developed. The family is an active participant in this process , collaborating on the initial plan for services . 2 . Once a family plan is developed , the counselor makes weekly visits to address the family plan goals . Weekly visits take place for up to one year, with the visits taking place in the family 's home, thus increasing the counselor' s ability to assess the safety of the children , and evaluate improvements made by the family. Parents remain active participants during the weekly visits , teaming with their counselor to initiate improved parenting techniques . 3 . During the weekly visits , counselors use a multifaceted approach to teaching , including utilizing parenting videos , working through parenting programs , creating behavior management plans , and establishing family meetings , or other formalized methods to improve family communication . Information is discussed and input is sought from the parent, to ensure understanding of the material presented. 4 . All weekly visits are geared toward reducing risk factors (characteristics that increase the likelihood that abuse will occur) , and increasing protective factors (characteristics that decrease the likelihood that abuse will occur) . Safe Families has identified the following risk and protective factors that form the basis of each counselor' s work with a family : Risk Factors: Lack of parenting knowledge/skills; Parent 's past history of abuse; Parent 's history of drug or alcohol abuse, or mental health issues; Poverty/financial stress; Teen and young parent; Social isolation. Protective Factors: Housing stability; Delay of subsequent pregnancy; Enrollment in childcare and health care; Livable wage employment,% Involvement in child 's school. 5 . Families are tracked for one year after exit from Safe Families to determine if abuse or re- abuse has occurred. 3. Briefly describe how your program intends to address the stated need/problem. Include reference to any studies or evidence that indicate proposed strategies are effective with target population. The stated need or problem is child abuse and neglect . Safe Families addresses child abuse and neglect by offering long term, home based, parent education and support to build on the parent ' s knowledge of child development, positive discipline , communication , behavior modification , and nurturing and bonding . The family ' s relationship with their counselor is a critical element to the success of the program . Over the course of the program, the counselor guides , supports , coaches and teaches the parent to create a nurturing, healthy environment for their children . Initially, risk factors are identified , and addressed, and then protective factors are built upon , so that the family can remain stable and abuse free long after they graduate from Safe Families . 6