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Waller County approves $15,000 agreement with Family Ties after presentation on child and victim services
Summary
After a presentation by Family Ties leaders on services including a 12-bed transitional home and a new sexual-assault services site, the Waller County Commissioners Court approved a $15,000 contract from the 2025 budget to support the nonprofit’s programs.
Waller County Commissioners Court approved an agreement and payment of $15,000 to Family Ties on April 2 after a presentation by the nonprofit describing its services for children and victims of abuse in Waller and nearby counties.
Heather Stoutmeister, identified in the court record as Family Ties’ executive, told the court the organization was created to fill gaps in services for children in Waller County and northwest Harris County. “Family Ties, we were created and I created it because there were no services for children in Waller County, Northwest Harris County,” Stoutmeister said during the presentation.
Stoutmeister described an array of programs Family Ties operates: a transitional housing program called the Mueller House that the nonprofit said has 12 beds and 12 bathrooms and can host residents for up to a year; a youth drop-in center and mentorship/tutoring efforts for ages roughly 14–20; victim services that include court and hospital accompaniment, counseling, a 24-hour hotline and flexible funding for basic needs; and a childhood-resiliency program that combines play therapy, neurofeedback and clinical services.
She also told the court Family Ties has purchased land and is planning a standalone sexual-assault services building. The organization already operates evidence-collection and interview space in the Mueller House for victims and partners with nurse examiners for forensic exams. Stoutmeister said a separate rented site three blocks away will host parts of the childhood-resiliency program.
Commissioners did not debate the request at length; the court moved, seconded and approved the $15,000 payment from the 2025 budget line cited by staff. The agenda item passed on a voice/hand vote. After the vote Stoutmeister and attendees posed for a group photo with the commissioners.
Why this matters: Family Ties provides wraparound services the presenter said are uncommon in Waller County — housing for youth who lack stable housing, direct forensic and advocacy services for sexual-assault survivors, and therapy programs focused on early childhood trauma. The county allocation is a modest one-time contribution from the general budget that the agency said will be used to support ongoing local operations.
What the court recorded (action): The Commissioners Court approved an agreement with Family Ties and directed payment of $15,000 allocated in the 2025 budget (agenda item 17). The vote was taken by raised hands; no recorded individual vote tallies were entered in the minutes.
Ending note: Family Ties asked the court and community for volunteers and financial support to sustain programs it said are seeing rising demand and declining federal funding. Stoutmeister thanked the commissioners and staff for the county’s ongoing cooperation and said the agency will continue to expand services in Waller County.
