Family Safety Center details new Sheridan facility, seeks remaining funding as move targets October

The Family Safety Center told the Tulsa Public Works Committee on May 21 that construction on its new facility at 2829 South Sheridan is 50% complete and that the organization expects to move in October, while it seeks about $400,000 more in private fundraising to finish the project.

The presentation outlined a larger campus that will bring the Family Safety Center next to the Child Advocacy Network and expand client services, medical and forensic capacity, and an on-site courtroom for the protective-order docket. “This will actually be the twentieth year of operation for the Family Safety Center,” said Suzanne Stewart, chief executive officer of the Family Safety Center. Stewart told the committee the organization reduced its construction budget from an earlier estimate of $29 million to about $24.04 million and that final bids and site work have brought costs down.

At the committee meeting, Cheryl Hillenauer, chair of the Family Safety Center board, described the remaining fundraising need: “We have raised all the $400,000. Wow. So we we lack $400,000 to have reached our goal.” The center said it expects to finalize remaining private gifts in the coming months and to request additional operating support from some capital funders after the move.

Why it matters: the Family Safety Center is a coordinated hub that houses multiple victim-service partners and processes emergency protective orders for Tulsa County. Stewart said the new facility’s client-service spaces, medical exam rooms and co-located partners will increase capacity; the presentation projected roughly 30,000 individuals served annually and said the protective-order docket handles about 100 cases per day during weekdays.

Details presented to the committee included floor plans and partner lists. Stewart and Hillenauer described plans to colocate law-enforcement advocates (Tulsa Police Department, Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office), prosecutors’ victim-witness staff, forensic medical capacity and civil-legal services. “We will actually have a courtroom that has been built into the facility, and will be utilized by that protective order docket,” Stewart said.

Committee members asked about access and safety. Councilor Bellis raised concerns about tracking and confidentiality for clients arriving by car or phone; Stewart and Hillenauer said nearby public parking and retail lots, transit access and offsite parking options make arrival less conspicuous and that the center expects to manage client flow to protect privacy. Councilors also asked about language access and culturally specific advocates; Stewart said the center has in-house Spanish-speaking staff and access to translation services and cultural advocates for a range of communities.

Stewart discussed state and federal funding conditions. She said the center receives federal grants and that the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) fund allocations can fluctuate; staff reported recent cuts in some VOCA-related distributions and noted uncertainty in future federal allocations. “This year, we think we'll be okay this year, but future years are, you know, who knows?” she told the committee.

The presentation closed with an invitation for city participation in strategic planning between the Family Safety Center and Child Advocacy Network to align operations at the shared campus. Committee members commended the planned co-location and the added courthouse and medical capacity as likely to reduce delays for victims and improve coordination between agencies.

The committee took no formal vote on the presentation; the item was informational and staff said they will return with requests if and when capital or operating support is sought from the city.