Domestic violence is a pervasive social and health problem and its impact includes physical and psychological trauma, isolation from family and friends, harm to children witnessing or experiencing violence in their homes, homelessness, reduced employability and lost work productivity, substance abuse, and a host of other physical and mental health issues. Domestic violence crosses all geographic and socioeconomic boundaries and involves all communities. While the exact number of victims is impossible to determine, it is estimated that well over 250,000 women and children are directly affected by domestic violence in Orange County alone and that this number continues to increase. The 2013 Orange County Community Indicators Report documents that 11,003 domestic violence-related calls were received by law enforcement agencies in 2010, a 6% increase from the previous year. As the majority of domestic violence victims are low-income women and children who have limited or no financial resources and access to support services, and in these economically challenging times, the need for Laura's House is greater than ever before as many government and social services programs addressing domestic violence have been curtailed or eliminated.

Laura's House has adopted a 2015-2020 Strategic Plan to support its vision to be the most respected resource and authority for the prevention and response to domestic violence issues. The organization is focusing its efforts in four core areas to build and strengthen its ability to best serve its clients and the community: Program Optimization and Expansion (ensuring that the quality of services provided remains at a consistently high standard of care to an expanded population); Fundraising and Endowment Programs (strengthening the donor base through a diverse range of funding sources and establish an endowment program to ensure the sustainability of the organization); Public Relations, Name Recognition and Branding (building the visibility and reputation of Laura's House as a leading service provider and community resource); and further expansion Project for an Advocacy Center (expanding on our current Counseling & Resource Center model in addition to further development of our Prevention and Education program). These efforts will assist Laura's House in maintaining and improving its capacity as a leader in domestic violence services and programs, regionally and nationally.

Laura's House successfully provides a comprehensive and effective range of accessible programs and services that address the issue of domestic violence and promote community health and safety, including an Emergency Shelter, a Counseling and Resource Center, Children's Therapeutic Programs, a Transitional Living Center, and Community Outreach Programs. Over the past 22 years, Laura's House has provided shelter and support services to more than 4,596 abused men, women and children and 24-hour crisis intervention, counseling, life skills education, and legal assistance to over 51,740 persons, demonstrating our success and effectiveness as the best organization to provide this program in Orange County. In 2015, we provided direct services to 3,789 persons and 21,732 attended our outreach and community education events. The organization's budget for 2016 is $3,522,662 and the 62-member staff is comprised of dedicated personnel with strong educational credentials and extensive experience in domestic violence and social service programs.

Laura's House measures the overall success of the program using both quantitative and qualitative evaluation instruments. Quantitative measurements include counting the number of participants served, the hours of service provided, and the number of participants who achieve designated outcomes. Qualitative evaluation instruments include pre/post testing measuring the effectiveness of the program through a variety of questions determining clients' knowledge and quality of life both before and after involvement in the program.

Laura's House has successfully implemented our Strategic Plan for 2012-2017 and is currently in the Board approval process for the newest 5 year Strategic Plan. The agency was successful in launching a pilot legal advocacy program in North Orange County, in close proximity to the Lamoreaux Justice Center in Garden Grove. Due to the significant increase in clients served, Laura's House opened an office in Garden Grove in December 2015, naming it the Laura's House Domestic Violence Advocacy Center.