Our 4th "Stomp Out Child Abuse" Event Brings Public’s Attention To A Cause Worth Supporting On Saturday, August 23rd At Veteran’s Park in Fort Pierce

Join CASTLE in their fight against child abuse by joining the “Stomp Out Child Abuse” race and festival, on August 23rd, from 2-8 PM.

Last year’s race and festival were a great success, and we are getting ready to do it again! Please join us for our 4th "Stomp Out Child Abuse" event, this time at the beautiful Veteran’s Park in Fort Pierce. Join our run or walk, and then join the festival for an afternoon and evening of fun and entertainment. But – it’s not only fun – as with all our fundraisers, there is a greater purpose: your participation will help us continue our fight against child abuse. We will again plant our “Memory Field” of flags, each flag memorializing the death of a child resulting from child abuse and neglect.

We are inviting the community to help make a statement in support of child abuse prevention by sponsoring a Memory Flag to be displayed on that weekend, in memory of a child. We will attach a ribbon to each flagpole with the name of those who have sponsored a child’s flag. We are asking all of you to help us remember those who will never have the opportunity to live, laugh and play in a world that should have loved them, cherished them, and given them an opportunity to thrive in a healthy, happy home.

Please join us by signing up now as a race or walk participant, or as a sponsor, by clicking on the "Race Registrations" button on the left. Thank you for your support!

Sponsors: Dragonfly Graphics, Kinane, 180, First People’s Bank, Beachland Cleaning

Media Sponsor: Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers

"Memory Field" Planted to Stop Child Abuse

CASTLE and Seacoast National join forces in the fight against child abuse.

The Memory Field was broadcast on WPTV Channel 5 - to see the broadcast, click here.

In 2006, 170 children in the state of Florida died as a direct result of child abuse and neglect. Further, more than 6,000 children fell victim to abuse. Local children have lost their lives as a result of child abuse. CASTLE, the leading organization on the Treasure Coast dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and neglect, and Seacoast National Bank, have joined forces to present the “Memory Field.”

Each week from February 16 though March 22, a traveling field of white flags, each representing a child who has died as the result of abuse, will be planted at locations in Okeechobee, Stuart, Port St.Lucie and Vero Beach. We invite you to join one of the displays of this powerful reminder of the terrible consequences of child abuse. Help us save the children in your community!

27 Years of Successful Child Abuse Prevention: CASTLE, The Parenting Professionals

CASTLE is an acronym and stands for “Child Abuse Services, Training and Life Enrichment”, and identifies an organization that concentrates all its efforts on parenting services and preventive child educational training. CASTLE’s stated mission is to "improve the quality of family life and prevent child abuse and neglect by providing community education, support and resources for parents in need of assistance."

What separates CASTLE from other intervention services is that it concentrates its efforts towards identifying parenting crises while they are still in the “preventive” stage. All CASTLE’s programs are designed to prevent child abuse before it happens, rather than intervene. As a result, CASTLE not only prevents tragedies and keeps families together; it also saves taxpayers’ dollars.

Studies show that for every $1 spent to prevent child abuse, $100 is saved in expensive remedial measures such as foster care and adoption. In addition to these direct financial savings, children from stable, healthy home environments are better prepared for school, have significantly better academic futures, and are less likely to become involved with drugs and crime.

During the past 27 years, CASTLE, proclaimed the “National Flagship” for the prevention of child abuse and neglect by President George W. Bush, has served over 10,000 children and parents on the Treasure Coast, Okeechobee County with educational and counseling services through home-based and group programs. Many of these programs have been conducted with overwhelming success in CASTLE’s entire service area.

Please help us continue our mission!

There are many ways in which you can ensure that our work continues. You may choose from numerous volunteer opportunities, or help us with your tax deductible donations. For further information, contact your local CASTLE office, and thank you for working with us to make this a better world for our children.