Center for Children and Families, Inc.

PROJECT PURPOSE

Center for Children and Families, Inc. (CCFI) is a child abuse prevention and treatment organization currently providing services to Heal Children, Empower Youth, and Strengthen Families. CCFI currently serves 890 individuals per year. The need for services continues to grow, especially through the heightened strain that the pandemic put on families in our community. Through the support of many state and local grants, we have the financial ability to grow our staff, but space constraints are slowing the ability to grow our services and continue to Uplift Families. Currently, we have 6 shared offices at CCFI, with the plan to add new staff in the coming months. A shared office is not conducive to conducting therapy sessions or meeting with clients and visitors. CCFI opened the doors to our current space in 2014, at 210 S. Cockrel Avenue, with the second floor remaining unfinished. This expansion will add eight office spaces, one medium and one large meeting space, two restrooms, an elevator, and storage for program supplies. Finishing the second floor will add 4,215 square feet of service delivery space. We anticipate breaking ground in Fall 2022 with the completion of the project as soon as feasible with construction supply chain delays. Our hopeful completion date is Summer 2023.

EVIDENCE

None

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

Each child and adult participating in programs and services at CCFI has experienced trauma. Our clients represent all ages, genders, and ethnicities. Most clients come from low-income families who live in high poverty and high-crime neighborhoods in Cleveland County, Oklahoma County, and other surrounding areas. We serve children ages 0 through 17; caregivers that include foster, adoptive, and biological parents; parents going through high conflict divorces, separations or other issues that can cause trauma within the home; and vulnerable or teenage parents of very young children. The Oklahoma Healthy Minds Policy Initiative cited unemployment challenges among parents could increase the risk for children's mental health problems by as much as 94%. Also, students that experience quarantine due to COVID-19 are seven times more likely to experience post-traumatic stress disorder. Most youth in our programs have experienced abuse and trauma resulting in mental health challenges that have been further intensified by the pandemic.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

All CCFI programs are evaluated quarterly or bi-annually, depending on service delivery. Service outcomes are measured through client surveys, therapist or professional staff observation, and assessment tools.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

One-time project will not need continued funding