Updated: Wednesday, April 27, 2011 10:04

(Photo by Chris Caldwell)

Almost five children die every day as a result of child abuse, and over 75 percent of those are under the age of 4.

These statistics come from the Childhelp Foundation at www.childhelp.org. Many prevention programs are there to help, but the Family Support Center of Washington County, 310 W. 200 North, is a local center, and the employees are there to help prevent child abuse and neglect, Director Christine Nelson said.

The Family Support Center is holding a miniature golf fundraiser at Fiesta Family Fun Center, 171 E. 1160 South, on Saturday, April 30. The event will be held from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. All of the proceeds will be used to purchase the current facility used by the Family Support Center and, hopefully, to provide more employees so the center can stay open during the hours of 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

“Right now the center closes for those hours because we cannot afford to stay open,” Nelson said.

The miniature golf tournament is for all ages and is $5 for singles and $15 for a family of four. Registration is now open online at http://familysupportceter.squarespace.com/mini-golf-form/. Registration forms can be dropped off at the Family Support Center; HintonBurdick CPAs & Advisors, 63 S. 300 East, Suite 100; Courtyard by Marriott,185 S. 1470 East; Far West Bank, 308 W. Tabernacle St.; or Wilkinson’s House of Lighting, 88 E. 1160 South. Participants can also register for the tournament at the door.

The event is being held at Fiesta Family Fun Center.

“Since Fiesta Family Fun Center is usually closed, they were willing to let us come in for the fundraiser,” said Laura Bartschi, who is the Family Support Center Assistant Director.

The Family Support Center has many sponsors for the event, and it is planning on having one sponsor for each of the 18 holes in the miniature golf course. It also has sponsors who have donated prizes for the winners of the competition. Prizes include an iPod Touch, a skateboard from Lip Trix Boardshop, an overnight stay at the Courtyard by Marriott, and gift cards to Orchids Restaurant, Texas Roadhouse, The Sweet Tooth Fairy and many others.

The competition will be split into categories, and everyone could win a prize. Each hole in the course will have a judge so the competition is fair, Nelson said.

The Family Support Center is a facility that is operated by about 10 employees. The center offers a crisis center, respite care, visitation exchanges and parenting classes.

The respite care is the most popular of the services offered. Respite care is offered to parents of children up to 11 years old and foster parents. Respite care is the most popular of the services offered at the center and is similar to babysitting. The respite care is to help parents that need a break, so they can take care of things they need to do. Parents can leave children at the center for up to 72 hours, Bartschi said.

“It is for parents’ mental health, and so they can get into a better place,” Nelson said. “When they are able to get things done they need to, then they can have more quality time for their children.”

The employees of the center sometimes have to turn children away from respite care because usually only two people are on staff, and they can only have four children to every one adult or two babies for every adult. With more funding they would be able to provide services to more children in the community, Nelson said.

Other services the facility offers is a crisis center, a place where children can come if a crisis occurs, and parenting classes. Visitation exchanges are also available for divorced parents that do not want to see each other. One parent drops off the child, and 10 minutes later, the other parent can pick the child up.

The center survives on money from fundraisers and grants, and it is able to keep the place running with the help of volunteers and sponsors, Bartschi said.

She said her favorite part about working at the center is to give parents the break they want, need and deserve.

“Parenting is our greatest and most important service to ourselves,” Barschi said. “To be a better parent —well nothing is better to me.”

The Family Support Center is a preventive service, not a rescue facility. Parents can take their children when parenting gets to be too much to prevent child abuse. The miniature golf tournament is to support these efforts.

Along with the miniature golf, in the Fiesta Family Fun Center parking lot there will be a bake sale to help with the fund-raising efforts until 11 a.m.