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PURPOSE AND SERVICES

Type of Agency:

The Capstone Family Support Center is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization officially incorporated as the National Exchange Club Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse of Southwest Michigan. We train, develop and nurture positive parenting skills for the purpose of realizing strong families and safe children in our community. Preventing child abuse and neglect is one of our primary goals as we partner in common cause with other like-minded organizations, concerned and dedicated parents, and other agencies in Berrien County and Southwest Michigan.

Project Executive Summary
The Need Exists in Berrien County...

According to data gathered for the Kids Count In Michigan- Data Book 2006, 3,488 children were in families being investigated for abuse and neglect in Berrien County. Also, 757 children were confirmed victims of abuse and neglect, and 321 children were in out-of-home care due to abuse or neglect. The risk factors for Berrien County include the following; 1) lack of education, 2) unemployment and lack of employment training, 3) single parent households, 4) lack of housing opportunities for all income brackets, and 5) lack of reliable/affordable means of transportation.

Type of Services:

Capstone provides the following services:

• Family needs assessment and assignment to an ongoing parent/family aide.
• Direct services, support, encouragement and training.
• Resource and referral information.
• Regular in-home visitations.
• Parenting skills training.
• Family education with parent support groups.
• Early prevention support services for families with 0 – 3 aged children.
• Intensive parent support services for families highly at-risk for abuse and neglect and who may have had children removed from their care for the first time.

The Capstone Family Center utilizes the highly regarded and nationally recognized parent aide, one-on-one prevention model with each of its families. Research has shown that, for every $1 spent on this prevention, $50 is saved on crisis-oriented programming like foster care, protective services, special education, etc.

Capstone assists over 170 families annually in Berrien County in comprehensive efforts to nurture and preserve strong families and positive parenting. This also helps create safe children as upwards of 300 children are part of these families.

Comments from human service professionals about the Parent Aide Program:
"…doing a fantastic job of helping potentially at risk families get on their feet and become self-sustaining."

"…very effective in being a role-model in parenting and giving needed support."

"I recommend parent aides and have had nothing but positive results."