Branches Pregnancy and Family Center has been a part of the Butler County Community for over 25 years. Our first center was located in Augusta, Kansas. Then, in 2011 we expanded to El Dorado and were received warmly by the community. We also opened the medical side of our organization at that time and offered sonograms to pregnant women, as well as classes for parents and families of all different sizes, ages and backgrounds. All of our services are free to the public and funded through donations. We were previously known as the Pregnancy and Family Resource Center but, just this last year, became Branches due to the variety of services and support we give families in our community.

Our ministry has grown by more than 700% in the last ten years. As client numbers and services continue to climb, we rejoice that we have outgrown our current El Dorado building at 226 S. Main.

Several years ago we were generously gifted the building at 107 N. Main in downtown El Dorado. A space we have come to love. Much time, effort and prayers have gone into plans concerning this particular space. We were thrilled that it also shared the block with Great Beginnings Boutique, a resale clothing store that is a part of and supports our ministry. We were excited to be planted in the center of this community that has supplied over one hundred volunteers, many faithful donors, and has met many other needs as they arose in this ministry. We are very honored to be a part of such a giving community.

We have done many forms of fundraising in order to restore and remodel this building and, as part of a grant opportunity, we began planning a licensed childcare facility. The concept was for our “Nurture Center” to be contained within our remodeled building, along with all of our other program offerings that support local families and the most vulnerable among us.

We then applied for this grant with the understanding that it would cover a large portion of the remodeling costs, and were then awarded said grant, totaling $953,000.

The grant administrator acknowledged and praised the hard work being done to benefit our community. This award, although generous in many ways, unfortunately was less than originally requested to complete a remodel designed to serve our existing ministries, plus establish a 24-bed infant childcare facility.

Although grateful for this opportunity, we questioned how to respond to being awarded a portion, but not all, of the funding necessary to complete a complex project. We prayed about and carefully considered:

1. Whether we were prepared for the additional fundraising and staffing needs these circumstances would require.
2. What the boundaries of the ministry to which we are called should be.

In answering these questions we realized:

1. That the remodel of the building would require an additional $700,000 in addition to the remaining $350,000 from past fundraising efforts, and the $953,000 we had been awarded under the grant for a total of $2 million. This would require a significant portion of our team focusing exclusively on fundraising during the next year, taking them away from other already assigned ministry tasks.
   
2. That we are meant, primarily, to answer the Pro Abundant Life call by:

• Providing pregnancy related services.
• Showing value to everyone that walks through our doors.
• Undergirding the young families in our community by one-on-one mentoring.
• Teaching family and relational skills to our clients.
• Walking with them towards the peace that only comes from a personal
  relationship with Jesus Christ.

While as an organization we are driven through our own transformational relationship in Christ, we have and welcome people of all faiths through our doors whole-heartedly.

Although we have a great tenderness towards the childcare care needs of our community, we cannot threaten the stability of our existing programming by taking on what has become a significantly underfunded project. To do so would deplete our staff and financial resources to such a degree that we would risk destabilizing the existing programs that already serve our clients well.

We are very thankful the Lord has helped us continue to focus on the heart of our ministry. We are encouraged and confident as we take the following steps. We intend to:

• Decline the grant funding.
• Be in prayer and seek wisdom on our future at 107 N. Main in El Dorado.
• Continue to enhance and develop our programming as the Lord leads.

At this time, therefore, we are not opening a childcare facility, but will continue to look for ways to support local organizations that meet the needs of our young families who face the childcare crisis.



We are grateful for the many generous contributions of time, talent, prayer and funding that have come from our community. We continue to pray for wisdom in guiding Branches towards the fulfillment of its call to serve and transform our community. We would appreciate your joining us in these prayers. 

Kimberly Fross
Executive Director
Branches Pregnancy and Family Center
kimberly@pregnancyandfamily.org
(316) 322-0070