NCJ Number
98727
Journal
Child Welfare Volume: 63 Issue: 5 Dated: (September-October 1984) Pages: 443-451
Date Published
1984
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This paper describes the planning and operation of a rural Kentucky child abuse prevention program in a time of social service funding cutbacks and an increasing number of child abuse incidents.
Abstract
In Warren County, Ky., in the late 1970's, a group of human service professionals began meeting bimonthly to determine what they could do to help prevent child abuse. The group looked both within its own community and at similar communities to identify services that could remedy the growing child abuse problem. The need for family support services was identified, and cooperative community prevention efforts were required. The first project undertaken was an educational seminar designed to arouse public interest and concern regarding child abuse and also assess the prevention goals likely to be accepted by the community. Subsequent to the seminar, three pilot projects were undertaken: (1) a Parents Anonymous chapter, (2) a 'mother's time-out' nursery, and (3) recruitment and training of parent aides. All three projects functioned with limited funding, no paid staff, resistance from potential consumers and the power structure, and no facilities or equipment. The programs were mounted through community networks, the recruitment and training of volunteers, the solicitation of needed equipment, and a media 'blitz' on the purposes and needs of the programs. Community and interagency cooperation emerged. The overall project, called Child Protection, now has a paid staff consisting of an executive director, a foster grandparent, and two VISTA workers. The nursery program is serving 473 children; Parents Anonymous has 42 members, and parent aides serve 9 families monthly. There is an active speakers' bureau, and the local newspaper runs a monthly column about children's needs and parent education. The project has begun a new program entitled 'Building Blocks,' which is a sophisticated, incremental educational program for parents with children at various age levels. One reference is listed.