City of Lawrence

Outside Agency Funding

APPLICATION

General Information: Each year, the City Commission considers requests for the allocation of dollars to a number of agencies that provide services benefiting the Lawrence community. The decision on funding a request will be made during the City’s annual budgeting process. The decision will be based upon the availability of funds, the need demonstrated through the agency’s application, the stated objectives of the applicant’s program, past performance by the agency in adhering to funding guidelines (as appropriate), and the ability to measure progress toward the program objectives.

Instructions: Applications for 2008 funding must be complete and submitted electronically to the City Manager’s Office at by the deadline of 5:00 pm on Wednesday, May 2 , 2007.

Questions? Contact Casey Liebst, Budget Manager at or at 785-832-3409.

Section I. Applicant Information

Legal Name of Agency:		The Farm, Inc (d/b/a TFI Family Services)
Name of Program for Which Funding is Requested:			Douglas County Visitation and Exchange Center
Primary Contact Person:		Beth McKenzie
Address:	910 W 24^th St PO Box 3887 Lawrence Ks 66046
Telephone:	(785) 749-2664		Fax:	(785) 749-2691
Email:	BethM@the-farm.org

Section 2. Request Information

A.	Amount of funds requested from the City for this program for calendar year 2008:	$7,500
B.	Will these funds be used for capital outlay (equipment or facilities) in 2008? If so, please describe: no
C.	Will these funds be used to leverage other funds in 2008? If so, how: no
D.	Did you receive City funding for this program in 2007? If so, list the amount and source for funding (i.e. General Fund, Alcohol Fund, etc.): Yes, we received $7,500 from the General Fund.
E.	If you are requesting an increase in funding over 2007, please explain exactly how the additional funds will be used: n/a

Section 3. Agency and Program Budget information

A.	How many paid full time employees work for your agency?	1	Volunteers?			3

B.	What percent of your total 2007 budget goes to employee salaries and benefits?				35%

C.	What percent of your total 2007 budget is used for operating expenses?			47%

D.	What is the total estimated cost to provide the program in 2008?			$100,303

E.	What percent of 2008 program costs are being requested from the City?			7.5%

F.	List other anticipated sources of funding an d funding amount for this program in 2008:
	Anticipated Funding Source				Dollar Amount
	City of Lawrence				$ 7,500
	SAVP Grant				$ 8,900
	CEVC Grant				$20,000
	Client Fees				$ 9,460
	TFI Family Services (Agency Contribution)				$54,443


	TOTAL 2008 PROGRAM BUDGET				$100,303

Section 4. Statement of Problem/Need to Be Addressed By Program

Provide a brief statement of the problem or need your agency proposes to address with the requested funding and/or the impact of not funding this program. The statement should include characteristics of the client population that will be served by this program. If possible, include statistical data to document this need.

Supervised visitations and monitored exchanges allow families to establish and/or maintain relationships while ensuring the best interests of the children are at the forefront of all parenting time decisions. The Center supports children having positive relationships with both parents as much as possible, but having proper intervention when said relationship may be damaging to the child’s wellbeing.

Client populations that are served by this program are the children and families in Douglas County. Reasons for referral include domestic violence, substance abuse, mental illness, child abuse or neglect, criminal activity, threat of kidnapping and family reintegration. The majority of families served are court ordered to receive services, and the Center serves clients of all diversities, backgrounds and income levels.

The Center has had no security incidents, though the Lawrence Police department reported over 47% of protection from abuse and stalking orders were violated, as well as 30 incidents of interference with parental custody (Order violations data from www.lawrencepolice.org).

According to a 2004 National Crime Victimization Survey, there were 3,445,670 attempts or threats of violence. Of that 94.5% received no assistance (American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence (ABA) http://www.abanet.org/publiced/whystay.pdf).

The Center will provide services to the population of 94.5% victims of attempted or threatened violence mentioned above, hence providing prevention of escalation of violence.

Studies also show that when victims try to leave their abusive partner is when they are at the most risk for death/violence. “It is estimated that a battered woman is 75% more likely to be murdered when she flees or has fled than when she stays—extensive safety planning is thus essential” (ABA).

The Center provides these victims with an opportunity to comply with parenting plans, court orders, and children’s wishes by allowing their ex to maintain contact with the children without compromising their personal safety. This type of service is invaluable to victims in these volatile situations.

How was the need for this program determined?

Douglas county families had few options for these services prior to the Visitation and Exchange Center being opened. Utilization of this program allows families to maintain relationships with their children while maintaining safety for the children and for both parents. This reduces law enforcement being used to monitor exchanges, and also reduces public conflict or violence between parents.

Why should this problem/need be addressed by the City?

The Visitation and Exchange Center is the only one of its kind serving this community. The City can address these families’ needs by supporting a safer alternative for them to conduct parenting time.

Section 4. Description of Program Services

Provide a brief description of the service you will provide and explain how it will respond to the need you identified in Section 3. The description should include how many clients will be served, and should describe as specifically as possible the interaction that will take place between the provider and the user of the service.

The Douglas County Visitation and Exchange Center provides supervised visits, monitored exchanges, and Cooperative Parenting Education to Douglas County children and families. Supervised parenting is accomplished by having a neutral third party monitor visitation between a parent and child. Monitored exchanges provide a buffer for children being exchanged between parents for visitation. The monitored exchange allows the child to be exchanged for visits without the necessity of parents having contact with each other.

The Center’s main goal is to ensure children’s safety while maintaining healthy relationships with both parents. Again this year, the Center has been able to meet this goal by having no security incidents of violence or conflict. This is accomplished by having a security officer present for all services as well as highly trained staff to enforce strict safety procedures.

The Center remains an important and vital service to the community, law enforcement, the court system, and families. During the 12 month reporting period ending 03/31/07 the Center provided 215 visitation contacts and 307 exchange contacts, serving a total of 82 families, all free of violence and/or conflict. The Center projects to increase the number of families served by 10%, totaling at least 90 families served in 2008.

Describe any efforts your agency has made to explore the community to determine if there are any other agencies providing similar types of services. What efforts have you made to coordination services?

The Center remains the only agency providing these specific services to this community. Center staff has worked to establish and maintain relationships with community organizations serving similar families, such as the Douglas County District Courts, local law enforcement, Women’s Transitional Care Services, and other service agencies. The Center works with these agencies to collaborate on service delivery, awareness, and training.

The Senior Facilitator also maintains relationships with other visitation and exchange service providers throughout the state in order to stay current on education, trends, and best practice service delivery. Part of this connection includes the Kansas Coalition for Sexual and Domestic Violence, as both networks have been working together to increase collaboration, understanding, and effectiveness with victims of family or domestic violence.

Section 5. Program Objectives

Please provide three specific program objectives for 2008. Objectives should demonstrate the purpose of the program and measure the amount of service delivered or the effectiveness of the services delivered. A time frame and numerical goal should also be included. Examples include, “75% of clients receiving job training will retain their job one year after being hired,” “increased fundraising efforts will result in a 15% increase in donations in 2008,” “credit counseling services will be provided to 600 clients in 2008,” “new digital arts program will serve 275 students in 2008” etc. Applicants will be expected to report their progress toward meeting these objectives in their six month and annual reports to the City.

	Program Objectives

1.	In 2008, the number of families served by the Center will increase 10%.

2.	97% of parenting time will be free from parental violence or conflict in 2008

3.	For 2008, 90% of parents will demonstrate increased knowledge of shared parenting concepts relating to exchanges following Cooperative Parenting Education, as measured by pre- and post-tests and class assignments.

Please return completed application electronically to by

5:00 pm on Wednesday, May 2, 2007.

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