The boards of two organizations that help people in Central Indiana recently voted to become one entity.
Promising Futures of Central Indiana is an organization based in Noblesville that helps youth and families in need. With the votes in place, the nonprofit agency is becoming part of Children’s Bureau, Inc., an advocacy group for abused and neglected children and families.
“The new alignment is primarily an organizational change; not one that will be recognized by clients and constituents of Hamilton County,” Kim Bradley, Promising Futures board president, stated in a news release. “Promising Futures has served central Indiana for 40 years and will continue to deliver services in Noblesville.”
Promising Futures’ program director and staff members reporting to that team member will stay on as Promising Futures becomes a division of Children’s Bureau with the goal of continuing services already offered, according to Tina Cloer, Children’s Bureau president and CEO.
Cloer said the Bureau’s plan is to grow some of Promising Futures’ programs and give the organization better access to funding.
People in Hamilton County and surrounding areas who use Promising Futures’ services will see the same level of quality from before the two entities merged.
“Clients won’t notice a change in their service delivery,” Cloer said adding that she believes acting as one agency will lead to better “economies of scale,” allowing them to serve more people in the Hamilton County area.
Cloer said the merger conversation began two months ago when Promising Futures Executive Director Stephanie Lyons asked if the bigger organization was interested in acquiring Promising Futures.
Talks began because Promising Futures lost a grant that funded the Pregnant and Parenting Teens program, one of its larger initiatives during the sequester.
Promising Futures closed the program in April of this year, and the Children’s Bureau will not be able to resurrect it.
She said when that happens to smaller organizations, overhead increases, something that Children’s Bureau can handle.
Lyons declined to comment on the merger and her future plans.
To learn more about each organization visit www.childrensbureau.org and www.promisingfutures.org.
