Tulsa Family Safety Center Feeling The Impact Of Partial Government Shutdown

As the partial shutdown continues more local services are being impacted. Employees at Tulsa's Family Safety Center say they've been warned that federal funding could run out if a solution isn't reached soon.

"I can put myself in their shoes and my situation wasn't near as serious as the people we see on a regular basis," said Rhiannon Dennis.

Dennis says she's experienced violence within her family in the past and had to utilize resources to get out of a bad situation.

"It’s already a stressful situation and when you don’t know where to go it’s just overwhelming," said Dennis.

Dennis is now an employee at the Family Safety Center and helps victims learn how to file a protective order, and can even help them find affordable housing, food and clothing. But funding for grants that help keep these programs going could run out at the end of the month because of the shutdown.

“They won’t all drop out suddenly. It will be incrementally and staggered based on the resources they have,” said Family Safety Center Associate Director Jan Figart.

Nearly 4,500 men, women, and children were provided services at the Family Safety Center in 2018. Figart says most agencies have enough money to operate for three months on their own until they have to start cutting services.

“That means in order to keep our doors open we have to deplete some of our reserve funds,” said Figart.

But not only is the Family Safety Center being impacted, most social service agencies that receive federal funding are starting to scramble.

“Ultimately it just keeps being a trickle down and puts more pressure on the family and causes then an increased likelihood of violence,” said Figart.

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