The National Exchange Club and its Foundation are committed to making a difference in the lives of children, families, and our communities through the prevention of child abuse and to secure the future of Exchange.

Child abuse prevention was adopted as Exchange’s national project in 1979. Since then, the Foundation has coordinated a national network of more than 100 Exchange Club Child Abuse Prevention Centers across the United States.

These centers all share one exceptional, common quality, the parent aide program. Parent aides are individuals who are trained and supervised by Exchange Club Center staff. This supervision includes an in-depth initial training, individual conferences, and monthly group meetings. Parent aides then enter the homes and lives of families at-risk for abuse, or where abuse has occurred. The main goal of a parent aide is to help parents learn how to cope with life’s daily challenges, and how to raise their children in a more positive environment. The long-term supportive relationship that develops between the parent aide and family helps to break the cycle of abuse.

To date, more than 545,000 families and 1.3 million children have been helped by the Exchange Club Child Abuse Prevention Center network.

When an Exchange Club or group of clubs decide to develop a local Child Abuse Prevention Center, the Foundation will assist in all stages of development to assure successful establishment. The process begins by garnering the support of a local Exchange Club or clubs in an area to determine their interest in developing a center and supporting it into the future. Once this long-term support is assured, a Community Needs Assessment is conducted to determine the actual need for a Child Abuse Prevention Center.

The Foundation assists clubs to identify resources in the community that will help meet the needs of a new center. As a prospective site progresses in its development, the Foundation will assist in negotiating contracts with the local Department of Social Services and other appropriate community agencies. In addition, the Foundation will work closely with the Exchange Club task force to incorporate the entity as a nonprofit organization and assist in obtaining tax exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service 501(c)(3).

In order to become an authorized Exchange Club Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Center, a site must submit an application as outlined in the Center Building Kit (Center Development Manual) and be approved by the Board of Trustees of the National Exchange Club Foundation. This development process commonly takes two years or more. Until approved as an authorized site, an emerging center is considered a Center in Development. The requirements for becoming an authorized site are:

1. Compliance with the Standards of Operation and Practice of the National Exchange Club Foundation.

2. Designation as a private, non-profit 501(c)(3).

3. Articles of incorporation.

4. A board of directors, 33 percent of whom are active Exchange Club members.

5. Agency bylaws.

6. Foundation/center agreement.

7. Operating budget.

8. Funding plan, including:
   a. Assurance of the first year’s revenues.
   b. A subsequent two-year funding plan beyond the first year.

9. Sponsorship by an Exchange Club.

10. Use of "Exchange Club" in center name.

11. Proof of insurance.

12. Provision of Parent Aide services.