Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Council of Bartholomew County,
Columbus, Indiana

CAP Council Profile

The Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Council is a non-profit organization that provides child abuse, neglect, safety and prevention literature and offers programs and workshops on related issues for parents and elementary school children.

Mission

To serve as a catalyst for the prevention of child abuse and neglect by promoting a community culture that values children. Maintaining that education and early intervention with families is key to breaking the abusive cycle, the Council is committed to preventing abuse/neglect before it happens.

CAP Council strives to educate all residents of Bartholomew County about child abuse and neglect and to promote healthy alternatives and positive parenting practices.

Affiliations

CAP is a chartered council of Prevent Child Abuse Indiana, an affiliate of Prevent Child Abuse America and a member agency of the United Way of Bartholomew County.

Funding

Funding for CAP Council activities currently comes from the United Way of Bartholomew County, corporate sponsors, Bartholomew County Child Welfare Funds grant, fundraising events and donations from philanthropic foundations, businesses and individuals as well as sustaining member donations. For more information on how you could donate to CAP Council, please see the page on donating.

CAP Council People

The CAP Council is registered as a non-profit corporation and is administered by an Executive Director, who is hired and supervised by the Board of Directors.

Members of Staff

The Executive Director is an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors and all standing Committees. She administers and coordinates the business of the corporation and all program activities of the CAP Council. She is an Indiana licensed, clinical social worker with extensive experience in working with children & families. To facilitate better understanding and cooperation between the community and DCS, she attended FSSA's extensive CORE training for Indiana's DCS case managers. CAP Council also employs a part-time administrative assistant and a part-time program coordinator.

• Ann Blaisdell Smith: Executive Director
  Email: anns@capcouncil.org
• Brenda McQueen: Administrative Assistant
  Email: barbm@capcouncil.org
• Bertha Olmeda: Program Coordinator
  Email: berthao@capcouncil.org

Board of Directors

The Board is elected by the CAP Council general membership in accordance with the by-laws of the corporation. CAP Council membership consists of adult volunteers, current and past Board Directors and sustaining members. CAP Council also annually uses the services of about 20 teen volunteers. Standing Committees include Executive, Membership, Program and Finance/Fundraising.

• Tom Linneweber, President
  Director of Human Resources & Community Affairs @ PMG–Indiana Corp.
• Pam Thomas, Vice-President
  Pupil Services @ Parkside Elementary School
• Connie Morris, Secretary
  Admin. Assistant @ Columbus Pediatrics
• Ian Russell, Treasurer
  @ Irwin Financial Corporation
• Bill Nash
  Bartholomew County Prosecuting Attorney
• Karla Davis
  Director @ Community Partners for Child Safety Region 14
• Kelly Bauermeister
  Community Services @ Quinco Behavioral Health
• Marc Rothbart
  Vice-President @ SIHO
• Brenda Nielsen
  Account manager @ SIHO

5-year Achievements

• The Kids on the Block programs perform for approximately 1000 elementary children in Bartholomew County each year
• Won a 2006/2007 "Investment in Youth Award" from the Indiana Youth Institute.
• Won an award from the Indiana Institute for Play Therapy for our Kids on the Block program in 2002
• Provided Shaken Infant Syndrome brochures for approximately 1,500 new birth parents every year through the local hospital's Maternal/Infant home visit program.
• Has provided training for staff at Foundation for Youth, Turning Point, Big Brothers-Big Sisters, Children Inc., Columbus Parks & Rec. summer staff, BCSC School nurses, Caring Parents Volunteer Home Visitors and other community professionals
• Has Hosted or co-hosted a Candlelight Vigil or Blue Ribbon Ceremony as part of April Prevention Awareness activities every year.
• CAP Council & Bartholomew County DFR have twice co-sponsored a series of videoconferences for professionals on recognition & reporting of child abuse.
• From July 2001 thru November 2003, CAP Council became the fiscal sponsor for the Caring Parents pilot program in collaboration with Columbus Regional Hospital's Healthy Communities Initiative of Bartholomew County and the Caring Parents Action Team. CAP Council also provided training for Caring Parent volunteers
• Has provided increased child safety, child development, parenting and abuse prevention literature for parents via home-visitor programs, family serving agencies and at local fairs and festivals
• Researched and brought a program on bullying (anger management/ communication skills and conflict resolution) for elementary & junior high/middle school students in Bartholomew County

CAP Council History

The CAP Council was founded in 1988 by community leaders who were concerned about the prevalence of child abuse and neglect in Bartholomew County. The Council became a chartered council of Prevent Child Abuse, Indiana in April 1989. As a small, all-volunteer program seeking to reduce abuse & neglect through education and public awareness, the Council's activities were primarily the distribution of prevention literature and sponsorship of special events. Historically, it brought "Spiderman" to talk with community children, provided a local parents' anonymous support group, and initiated the provision of "Wee Care" packets of parenting information for new birth parents. Council representatives also provided leadership during the earliest formation of the local Healthy Families initiative.

In 1995, the Council's "Kids on the Block" (KOB) puppets began educating young children about abuse and neglect. As the needs of the community grew, the time involved in coordinating Council activities and programs exceeded capacity of existing volunteers. The KOB program and puppets lay dormant for over a year. In October 1998, a part-time director for CAP Council was hired to raise funds, coordinate the program, reinstate Kids on the Block, and increase Council membership. The Executive Director's position became full-time in October, 1999. In 2002, CAP Council applied and was accepted for membership in the United Way of Bartholomew County.