This program is for families who have at least one child age birth to 17 years old who is considered to be at risk for child abuse and neglect.

Exchange Parent Aide, a community-based, home-visiting program, is designed to prevent or stop child maltreatment by providing support and education to families, improving parenting and problem-solving skills, and enhancing social supports.

One randomized controlled trial was conducted that demonstrated that parenting stress and household inadequacy decreased for the intervention group when compared to the control group; however, no improvements were found with regard to risk indicators for child abuse and neglect. In a quasi-experimental study, parents who completed the program had less substantiated referrals to Child Protective Services (CPS) over multiple years when compared to parents who dropped out of the program or who refused to participate in the program.

This program is a family treatment plan that focuses on specific goals using a strengths-based, family- centered approach. The program is delivered in the home by trained and supervised Parent Aides who provide support and information and model appropriate parenting behaviors. Services focus on the following:

• Conduct an initial needs assessment that examines family dynamics, coping behaviors, abuse histories, and immediate needs or concerns;
• Teach problem-solving and coping skills, model suitable parenting behaviors, and provide support to families;
• Enhance knowledge of parenting, child development, and safety;
• Strengthen social connections and allow parents to connect to others through group meetings, activities, and referrals;
• Increase the families’ nurturing capabilities, observe parent-child interactions, and provide modeling to support child competence;
• Provide connections to community resources to meet basic needs;
• Ensure that medical, dental, and mental health care needs are met; and
• Reduce parental stressors and risk factors.

The Exchange Parent Aide program has been implemented in more than 80 communities across 28 states and in Puerto Rico.

Facilitators may be volunteers or paid individuals. Training is mandatory, and Parent Aides are required to be credentialed by completing a 2-day, 15-hour, on-site training. In addition, on-going training should be provided to Parent Aides by supervisors. Please use details in the Contact section for additional information.

Considerations for implementing this program include recruiting Parent Aides who are willing to complete the on-site training in order to become credentialed, acquiring buy-in from families, understanding Parent Aides will need a means of transportation for home visits, determining mutually convenient times to hold home visits, and locating training space for on-going training.

The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

If you are interested in implementing Exchange Parent Aide, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you!
Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

Parent Aides meet with families one to two times a week for 1 to 2 hours per session. Telephone contacts may occur between home visits. Home visitations usually last between 9 and 12 months.

Information on implementation costs was not located. Please use details in the Contact section to learn more.

To move Exchange Parent Aide to the Promising category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence, at least one evaluation should be performed demonstrating positive effects lasting at least one year from the beginning of the program or at least six months from program completion when compared to a control group.

The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program.
Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: Clearinghouse@psu.edu

You may also contact The National Exchange Club by mail 3050 W. Central Ave., Toledo, OH 43606, phone 1-419-535-3232, email info@NationalExchangeClub.org, or visit https://www.nationalexchangeclub.org/contact/

https://www.centerffs.org/our-services/family-support-prevention/exchange-parent-aide, https://www.oceanresourcenet.org/search/nj-department-of-children-families-exchange-parent-aide-program-epa/, and https://www.cebc4cw.org/program/exchange-parent-aide/detailed