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Organization: Exchange Club CASTLE Program Name : Safe Families Funder: Children ' s Services Advisory Committee RFP# 7052 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 healthy living and learning 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 97 locations in 27 states . With an involved, active Board of Directors, and an Executive Director, Theresa Garbarino-May, who is beginning her 19th year at the helm of the agency, the CASTLE is known for its steady leadership and quality programs . The CASTLE is accredited by the Council on Accreditation, an organization that promotes best practices and the highest national standards for programs working with families . The CASTLE also received an award as the "Best Place to Work" in St. Lucie County this year. 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; Valued Visits, a supervised visitation center; and Co-Parenting, a support group aimed at helping divorced parents reduce conflict surrounding shared custody. All CASTLE services utilize a continuous quality improvement (CQI) model to monitor and improve the delivery of services . This model includes peer reviews, client satisfaction surveys, measurements of program effectiveness, and the use of this information to make improvements in the program. 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 49 % of enrolled families are single mothers or fathers, 69% are White, 14% are Hispanic and 17% are Black. Fifty- eight percent of families served (Safe Families only) are below the federal poverty level . 4