Sondra Hernandez Staff writer March 6, 2025

A new $10 million facility for Montgomery County nonprofit Children’s Safe Harbor in Conroe reached a milestone in construction with the topping out of the building last week. 

Those on the project plus staff, board members, members of law enforcement, donors and invited guests toured the building under construction and got an update on its progress Feb. 26. 

The 45,000-square-foot building will be on Conroe’s Loop 336 East and is expected open in the fall to better serve the needs of children who have been abused in the Montgomery County region. 

Children’s Safe Harbor executive director Victoria Constance called the space “God’s house” as those gathered signed beams with inspirational messages in the structure’s lobby area Feb. 26.

She had her first meeting onsite with the builders in December. She said she pulled into the drive and she wept. 

“I said ‘Oh my God, it’s beautiful,'” she said of the facility. “God makes me wait, but when he shows up it is so much more than I could imagine.” 

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What is Children’s Safe Harbor?

The organization is a Children’s Advocacy Center that has served the Montgomery County community and surrounding counties for 27 years by bringing justice, healing and hope to child victims of sexual and physical abuse.

In 2023 — the most recent data available — the agency provided services to 2,302 children ages 2 through 17 and reviewed 8,928 reports of child abuse in Montgomery, Walker and San Jacinto counties, according to information from the nonprofit. The group has conducted 26,500 forensic interviews in its history. The nonprofit launched in 1998. 

It’s been a journey for 10 years to have a new, expanded facility for the nonprofit. A groundbreaking took place in August. 

What will the new center look like? 

The new center will be on 17 acres. The first floor, which will wrap around a healing garden, will house a law enforcement area, a conference and training center for community events and a medical clinic. 

The second floor will offer natural lighting to create a comfortable place for children and families to tell their stories and participate in counseling. The second floor also will house a gym and dining area for staff. 

Pines line the perimeter of the property offering a space for privacy and healing, Constance said. 

She explained how they took polished stones and gave them out to young clients, adults, their board members, staff and others. They asked those to take a stone and hold the stone and make a wish. The stones were collected and placed in the foundation of the building, by Constance and other board members. 

Houston-based Tellepsen is building the structure with Aaron Murray as project manager. 

He explained a “topping out” is where the last beam of the structure is raised to the top and the structure is closed in. Workers are then in control of all that takes place in the building that is now protected from the elements. 

“This is a fun and exciting time,” he told those gathered. 

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Who funded the new facility? 

In June 2022, Woodforest Charitable Foundation committed $2.5 million toward the naming rights of the nonprofit’s new and expanded facility. In 2023, state Rep. Will Metcalf, R-Conroe, helped secure $5 million from the Department of Family and Protective Services to construct the center. 

Other community donors brought the total to $10 million. Lead donors include Dan and Judge Lisa Michalk, Mike and Vanessa Manners, Joy-Dawn Colburn, Ron Cook and Mike Stoecker.

Additional funds are still needed. Constance said about $2 million is still needed to complete the building. The group received a $100,000 gift from ExxonMobil in January.

In February, Precinct 3 Constable Ryan Gable hosted his annual breakfast fundraiser where more than $11,000 was raised for the nonprofit. 

On March 28, Kim and Robert Marling of Woodforest Charitable Foundation will be honored at the group’s capital campaign luncheon. The luncheon will take place at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott. 

Tickets for the luncheon and on the event and organization are at the Children’s Safe Harbor website. 

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