SAFE

06/12/2026

Melinda Cantu, SAFE's Co-Chief Program Officer of Child Abuse Prevention & Intervention Services, talks about SAFE Futures, a program that works with courts to keep families united and prevent more children from entering the foster care system.

SAFE Futures is one of three programs that is still at risk of closure this year due to lack of funding.

Support our work at safeaustin.org/donate.

06/12/2026

06/10/2026

⚠️ Spoiler Alert: This post discusses key plot points and character moments from Off Campus. If you want to avoid spoilers, you may want to come back after watching. ⚠️

While many teen and young adult romance narratives often center dramatic conflict or idealized relationships, Off Campus also incorporates more difficult topics, including trauma and healing. These themes are explored through interpersonal relationships and character development within the story.

Read more on our blog: safeaustin.org/off-campus/
Learn more about Expect Respect: safeaustin.org/expectrespect

06/09/2026

The SAFE Alliance’s Forensic Nursing program at Eloise House has ended its services.

We are holding this moment with the weight it deserves. For more than a decade, Eloise House served nearly 600 survivors each year in a space built around their dignity, their pace, and their choices. That work mattered. The people who made it possible — the nurses, the advocates, the staff who showed up in the middle of the night — changed lives. We honor them, and we honor every survivor who trusted us with their care.

We want to be clear about what has not ended: SAFE’s sexual assault victim advocacy program continues. Our advocates are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by phone, in person, at a hospital, wherever you need them. That has not changed.

If you or someone you know needs support: You have the right to a sexual assault forensic exam at any hospital emergency department in Travis County. Under Texas law, hospitals are required to provide this exam regardless of whether you choose to report to law enforcement.

You also have the legal right to have a trained advocate with you, someone who can meet you at the hospital, explain your rights, help you understand your options, and stay with you through every step of the process.

SAFE’s advocates can also help you access crime victims’ compensation, counseling, peer support, and legal services.

SAFEline: 512-267-SAFE (7233) — 24/7, free, confidential

We are still here. And we will keep fighting until every survivor in this community has access to the quality of care they deserve.

safeaustin.org

06/05/2026

🗣 Do you know about the TAKE IT DOWN ACT? It requires websites and social media platforms to have clear reporting procedures to request taking down intimate images and videos, including AI-generated content, posted without consent within 48 hours.

If it is not removed in that time, it should the reported to takeitdown.ftc.gov.

06/03/2026

Happy Pride Month, Austin! SAFE is here for you.

06/02/2026

“What we can’t do is continue to raise the bar at how much we have to fundraise year after year because government contracts continue to be flat-funded,” Berastain said. “These are services that the city depends on in terms of keeping our community safe and we must invest in them as a community.”

Beginning June 9, survivors seeking forensic exams will see changes as care transitions to what leaders describe as a hospital-led, multiprovider model.

06/02/2026

A reminder that SAFE is hiring right now! See our open positions and apply at https://safeaustin.e3applicants.com/.

05/29/2026

With a heavy heart, The SAFE Alliance mourns the passing of one of Austin’s truest champions for children, Cathy McHorse.

Cathy was brilliant, kind, exceptionally humble, and a joy to work alongside. Over her decades of fierce community advocacy, she dedicated her life to ensuring that every young child in Central Texas grew up with equitable access to safe, supportive, and high-quality early childhood environments. Her vision aligned with SAFE's mission to break the cycle of child abuse and to create safe futures.

Cathy brought an infectious smile and radiant warmth to the serious, heavy work of advocacy, leaving an indelible impact on countless families, educators, and community partners across Austin.

We send our deepest condolences to her family, friends, and the vast network of admirers who carry forward her vital work. Rest in power, Cathy. Your legacy lives on in the thousands of children who have a brighter, safer future because of your tireless fight.

05/26/2026

Planet SAFE is a place where children can see a parent in a space designed entirely around their safety — with separate entrances and waiting rooms, staggered arrival and departure times, security personnel, and bright, welcoming play spaces that help kids just be kids.

Right now, Planet SAFE faces an uncertain future. Without restored public funding, the program could close this summer.

This Supervised Visitation Awareness Month, we’re asking Austin to pay attention, because this program saves lives and helps break the cycle of abuse.