Exchange Club Family Resource Center staff members (from left) Rachel Pennacchio, Mary Ann Sailors, Tracy Anthony, April Worthington and Kristi Elkins.

There is a war taking place in Floyd County. The battle to stop child abuse and neglect in our communities is being fought every single day. And while local authorities and government agencies are doing their part, there’s another group of people doing their best to make sure our children are safe… one family at a time.

The Exchange Club Family Resource Center provides education and hands-on support to at-risk families in Floyd and surrounding counties. Through parent aides, it goes into individual homes to help families break the cycle of abuse.

April Worthington, director of family services and interim executive director, said what started out as a service project by the National Exchange Club has become a very important organization in the community. Her staff of six, however small, is one of the first lines of defense against child abuse and neglect in the community.

“Our primary service is in-home parent aide service,” she said. “We send our qualified, trained parent aides into homes of at-risk families and try to teach them the life skills and give them the tools to prevent child abuse and neglect. We try to keep families together.”

Learning life skills

Since 1991 the center has also provided visitation services, supervised and monitored transfers, provided education to families, hosted divorcing parent seminars, sponsored community education courses as well as other services.

With referrals from the Department of Family and Children’s Services, area schools, churches, neighbors and even walk-ins, the Family Resource Center deals with families on an individual basis.

“We receive a case either by referral or by walk-in,” Worthington said. “Then a parent aide meets with the family and establishes a schedule and plan of action for meeting that particular family’s needs.”

Those needs, she said, can range from teaching basic life skills such as budgeting, finding a job, finding stable housing or even more severe issues such as seeking help for substance abuse issues.

“We help families resolve any issue that creates stress within the home,” Worthington said. “These are the things that contribute to child abuse and neglect.”

The center currently serves 162 area families. But not all need the parent aides on a day-to-day basis. Some families need visitation services. The center’s staff also act as mediators and supervisors when children need to be transferred from one parent to another or when a parent is allowed supervised visits with their children.

“Our goal isn’t to take children away from their parents,” Worthington said. “In some cases that is the best solution for some families, but in many cases parents just need some guidance and some education and we try our best to keep families together.”

A child’s basic needs

The parent aides have a tough, thankless job. Though the reward of seeing a child in a safe environment can be very fulfilling, it’s still emotionally draining at times.

“It’s very difficult at times,” said Mary Ann Sailors. “It can be emotionally and physically draining. But I learn from each of the families I deal with. I take something with me from all of these cases.”

Tracy Anthony has been a parent aide for almost three years. She said many local families don’t even realize they’re in a cycle of abuse.

“Abuse isn’t just hitting,” she said. “The majority is emotional abuse and neglect.”

“Some parent’s just don’t know how to tend to a child’s basic needs,” said parent aide Rachel Pennacchio. “Many of them underestimate what might be damaging to a child. Some of it is unintentional. So it’s our job to teach them how they can do things differently to make things better and safer for their kids.”

As far as measuring success, Sailors said it’s different in every case. She’s been working with one particular family for quite some time. The mother had substance abuse issues and spent time in jail. Her children were removed from her care. But recently, Sailors received a letter of thanks from the mother who said that she (Sailors) was the only one who stood by her in her toughest time, the only one who believed in her.

How you can help

So while she lost custody of her children, she realized it was the best resolution for them. And Sailors made that journey a little easier.

Worthington said parents should not be ashamed or afraid to seek help from the Family Resource Center, located at 5 Professional Court in Rome. Their goal is to do everything in their power to educate parents and keep families together.

“There’s no charge to the families for any of our services,” she said. “We absorb all the costs of our services and staff and other expenses.”

But they do rely on financial support from the community. Charitable gifts are one of the most important ways members of the community can help the Family Resource Center. Financial and other gifts are always appreciated. See the attached side-bar for information on an upcoming fundraiser which benefits the center.

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NIGHT AT THE MOVIES

The annual fundraiser for the Exchange Club Family Resource Center takes place on April 29 at 6 p.m. at Rome Cinemas located at 2535 Shorter Ave.

Heavy hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be served and guests can choose from one of six blockbuster movies which all begin at 7:30 p.m.

The films include the period drama “The Other Boleyn Girl,” “Leatherheads,” starring George Clooney, card-counting MIT students in“21,” comedy “Baby Mama” and the adventure flick “Nim’s Island.”

The ticket price also covers popcorn and drinks during the movie.

Tickets are $40 per person, $75 per couple and $35 per person for groups of 10 or more. For ticket information, call the Family Resource Center at 706-290-0764.