This year, The Child Abuse Prevention Center of New York toasted 25 years of serving the Westchester community.
The White Plains-based center is one of 100 centers across the country that “reach out to families who are at risk with abuse or neglect issues with their children or had a history of abuse and neglect,” said Laura B. Schwartz, executive director.
While the center provides a variety of workshop programs and parenting groups in churches, jails and homeless shelters, its main program is the parent aide program. The center trains volunteers and graduate students in social work, and then sends them into a home to work with a parent on issues that impact their parenting.
“What it really is, is how to use alternate discipline techniques, stress and anger management, and organization,” said Schwartz. “Whatever it is that”™s going to make their home a safe and healthy environment for children to grow up in.”
The volunteers visit their assigned home an hour a week for about 18 months. Schwartz credits the program”™s 85 percent success rate with their nonjudgmental, nonthreatening approach.
“That”™s what makes it work. We used to say, ”˜It”™s neighbor helping neighbor and it works and that”™s what it is,”™” Schwartz said. “And we know the volunteers get as much out of it as the client family themselves.”
The center is not funded by any government organization, and receives funding through grants, donations and special events.
One such grant that the center received this year went toward programs for the Spanish- speaking population. Through its bilingual social workers, the center is educating and working with non-English-speaking families on what constitutes child abuse and neglect.
Currently, the center is holding a gift-wrapping fundraising event at Chef Central in Hartsdale for the holiday season. Customers can have their gifts wrapped by making a donation to the center. All donations will go to the center to fund programs.
Antonino Teresi, assistant manager at the store said store employees have been working with the center since the store opened in 2003.
“We do this every holiday season,” said Teresi. “We actually found the charity through a newspaper advertisement. It was a Bloomingdales ad saying that they donated money to different charities. I looked through the different charities” and The Child Abuse Prevention Center was one of them. “I called up the center and we found out that it was a perfect match.”
This year, Chef Central was honored by the center for its continuous dedication and support.
“It”™s a great organization to work with,” said Teresi. “It”™s an organization that promotes the future, it helps children and families alike dealing with the stress of raising children.”
If you”™re interested in volunteering to wrap gifts, would like to become a parent aide or would like more information on what The Child Abuse Prevention Center of New York does, call (914) 997-2642.
Â
