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 The Center's Mission : 

The mission of the Exchange Club - Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse is to provide support to families in preventing and dealing with child abuse in West Tennessee and to help both parents and children meet the practical needs of preserving and improving the quality of family life.

The Center's services put families back together and literally saves the lives of children. Currently, 80% of the clients receiving services are referred by the Department of Human Services and involve cases in which abuse has already occurred. These services are provided under a coordination agreement with the Department of Human Services, and are often provided in the homes of the family in order to address the problem in the setting in which it occurs. The remaining 20% of the current caseload is made up of self-referrals who are at risk of abuse.

Those services include an initial needs assessment, crisis intervention, parenting classes, a child advocate program, a volunteer parent aide program, a 24-hour crisis hot line, clothing items, a food pantry, and programs designed to increase community awareness about child abuse and the services of the center. The objective is to break the cycle of abuse now and for future generations, thus treating the cause rather than the symptoms of the problem.

During the past year, 3,238 children in 1,230 families were served by the Center. It is often showcased as a model center and is the largest of its kind in the nation. More important than size, however, is the effectiveness of the programs. Of all the cases served by the Center, less than 5% have ever had to be re-opened because of child abuse.