Family Compass Merges with Family Outreach of Richardson Plano

Holidays Bring Critical Child Abuse Prevention Programming for Collin County’s At-Risk Families

DALLAS--()--Family Compass, the largest DFW non-profit dedicated to the prevention of child abuse, announces that it has merged with Family Outreach of Richardson Plano (FORP), a 41-year-old non-profit with a similar mission. The merged organization will provide child abuse prevention services in both Dallas and Collin Counties and operate going forward under the Family Compass name.

“The timing of the merger, during the holidays, has so much meaning for all of us,” said Jessica Slie Trudeau, executive director of Family Compass. “We are thankful to have been approached by an organization with the same focus and values—a passion for protecting children from abuse. The holidays are one of the most dangerous times of year for children, as economic and family stress overwhelms parents. Just last year 1,168 children in Collin County were confirmed victims of child abuse or neglect, and as the county’s population continues to grow rapidly, so does the risk of abuse. The merger allows us to help more children and at-risk families now and throughout the years to come.”

The value this merger brings to Collin County is clear—enhancing existing child abuse prevention programming with the evidence-based curricula and infrastructure of Family Compass and expansion of services to reach more at-risk children and families. Prevention services make sense financially for Collin County. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that the lifetime cost of abuse for each individual is $210,012. As such, the 1,168 confirmed cases in Collin County in 2013 will have an estimated lifetime cost of more than $240 million. Alternatively, it costs just $1,500 annually per child to receive services to prevent abuse.

The merger came about as a result of the daughter of Family Outreach president Nan Griffith hearing Trudeau on KERA’s THINK show. She realized the shared passion for ensuring that children are protected from abuse and knew her mother was working on a solution for the future of Family Outreach. Griffith felt that passing the torch to Trudeau and Family Compass would carry the mission forward for decades to come. “We can bring the necessary programming and funding infrastructure to address the needs in Collin County and continue focused efforts on ensuring that children are protected from abuse and able to retain their innocence,” said Trudeau.

For more information on how to recognize and report child abuse during this holiday season, to adopt a family for Christmas or find other ways to support the center, please visit www.family-compass.org.

Go to media resources.

Founded in 1992, Family Compass has served over 41,000 children and parents in North Texas. The mission of Family Compass is to build healthy families and a strong community by preventing child abuse and neglect. This is accomplished through four nationally accredited home mentoring, community based and educational programs for families that have elevated risk for child abuse. All programs are evidence based, voluntary and free of charge. Family Compass believes that every child has the fundamental right to a healthy family and environment, the opportunity to succeed in school and the capacity to experience life without violence.

Contacts

for Family Compass
Marilyn Franklin, 214-957-8816

Release Summary

Family Compass, the largest DFW non-profit dedicated to child abuse prevention, merged with Family Outreach of Richardson Plano

Contacts

for Family Compass
Marilyn Franklin, 214-957-8816