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MISSION AND HISTORY: Prevent Child Abuse Athens (formerly The Athens Area Child Abuse Prevention Council, Inc.) is a non-profit, community-based organization dedicated to preventing child abuse in all its forms – physical, sexual, emotional and neglect – through education, support and public awareness. The Council serves families in Clarke, Madison, Oconee and Oglethorpe counties.
Prevent Child Abuse Athens has served the Athens area since 1986. We began as an all-volunteer group,
emphasizing parenting classes and community education. In 1992, two
part-time staff were hired -- a Director and a First Steps
Coordinator. The Healthy Families program began in 1995. Today, the organization includes a 22-member Board of Directors, 8
paid staff members, and 10 trained volunteers. Prevent Child Abuse Athens
serves over 3,000 individuals each year.
FUNDING: Prevent Child Abuse Athens is funded by state and local grants, foundations, and individual and business donors. Primary supporters include: the Governor's Office for Children and Families, Georgia Department of Human Resources (Promoting Safe and Stable Families), United Way, March of Dimes, Athens-Clarke County HED, Family Nurturing Center, and Kappa Delta Sorority. Yearly income is approximately $350,000, of which fully 85% goes directly to program services for children and families.
Starry, Starry Night, our annual dinner and auction, raised almost $50,000 in 2011.
Prevent Child Abuse Athens relies on donations from individuals and businesses in our 4-county area through an annual Supporters Campaign; donations are tax-deductible and supporters receive quarterly newsletters.
PROGRAMS...
- Healthy Families provides in-home visits by Family Support Workers to overburdened parents of newborns. Staff offer parenting education, support, and information on community resources for up to 4 years after the birth of a child. Families receiving intensive home visiting are more likely to be linked to a medical provider (currently 98%) and have children fully immunized; they are much less likely to have a repeat teen pregnancy (currently just 1 out of 37 participating teens) or substantiated abuse or neglect. 88 families at risk for abuse/neglect received thousands of home visits in our latest reporting year. One young mom told us that her Family Support Worker is a blessing in her life, listens to her and builds her confidence, helps her find solutions for her problems, and inspires her to be a better parent and person.
- First Steps trains volunteers to provide new parents with support, parenting information, and referrals to community resources in the first year of parenting. Our generous volunteers contribute thousands of hours toward the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Some 450 families were served in our latest reporting year.
- Parenting Classes are held in various community locations throughout the year. In our latest reporting year 63 families completed classes where they learned all about child development, family communication, and non-physical discipline techniques.
- Community Education provides presentations by staff and volunteers to community groups on child abuse prevention and recognizing/reporting abuse, including to 75 attendees at PCAA's CyberSafety Symposium in September 2010. In the past year PCAA reached 1,867 people through Community Education.
Citizens may call our Parent Helpline 706.546.9713 for information about parenting or child abuse issues.
PLEASE MAKE A SECURE DONATION ONLINE NOW... CLICK HERE
Sign up for our newsletter HERE!
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