Ready for Life is a licensed Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Center through the National Exchange Club, implementing the Exchange Parent Aide Program. The Parent Aide Program is a free and voluntary initiative that provides families that are at an increased risk of child abuse and neglect with 6-12 months of in-home parent education and case management services, delivered by professionally trained and supervised Parent Aides who serve as mentors to these families.

Parent Aides work directly in families' homes, providing intensive support, education, and modeling of effective parenting. They deliver lessons focused on key areas, including child safety, social support, caregiving abilities, and problem-solving skills. The program's primary goal is to strengthen families and reduce the need for child welfare intervention by teaching parents effective, nonviolent, and nurturing parenting techniques.

This evidence-based program has demonstrated significant positive outcomes through recent randomized controlled studies, showing reductions in maternal stress, depression, and anxiety, while increasing parental mastery and decreasing psychological and physical aggression toward children. Since 1979, the Exchange Parent Aide program has been successfully implemented in over 80 communities across 28 states and Puerto Rico, helping more than 691,000 families and creating safer homes for over 1.7 million children through its culturally responsive approach.

If you are interested in becoming a Parent Aide, please contact Diamond Davis, Director of Family Preservation, at ddavis@readyforlifepinellas.org

Line Up Against Child Abuse

Join us for a line dancing class followed by an evening of entertainment, all benefiting the Child Abuse Prevention Center & Exchange Parent Aide Program!