The Center for Child Protection’s annual Fan Drive, now in its third year, provides free fans to families in Travis County to provide relief during the summer heat. In partnership with Family Eldercare, the Center distributed close to 79 fans in 2026 through a non-identifying process, with fans distributed by DFPS, Victim Services, local law enforcement, and the Center’s Clinical Team. Since the drive began in 2024, over 150 fans have been distributed to families across the county.
When Texas summer temperatures climb into the triple digits, a working fan isn’t a luxury, it’s a basic safety necessity. This year, the Center for Child Protection wrapped up its third annual Fan Drive, a community-wide effort to help families across Travis County beat the heat. In partnership with Family Eldercare, the Center distributed close to 79 fans this year alone to families who needed them most.
How the Fan Drive Started
The Center’s fan distribution initiative began in 2024, born out of a simple but urgent realization: many of the families we serve can’t afford air conditioning or keep up with rising electric bills during the hottest months of the year. What started as a small response to a real need has grown into a community-wide effort, made possible each year through a continued partnership with Family Eldercare, which provides the fans for the drive.
A Process Built Around Trust
Most community assistance programs require families to submit personal details or paperwork before they can receive help. For families already navigating trauma, abuse, or crisis, that barrier can be the difference between getting support and going without it.
To remove that hurdle, the Center’s Community Outreach Manager, Julia Cabin, worked directly with Family Eldercare to build a non-identifying request and distribution process. Families can now receive a fan without submitting any personal information, no forms, no paperwork, no barriers to getting help.
Year after year, I see the need for fans increase, and I am so grateful for our partnership with Family Eldercare and our local agency partners. Working together, we’re able to make an immediate difference and deliver fans to the families who need them most. Julia Cabin
How Fans Reach Families Across Travis County
To make sure fans reach the households that need them, Julia works directly with the network of agencies that make up the Center’s Child Protection Team, including:
- Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS)
- Victim Services
- Local law enforcement
- The Center for Child Protection Clinical Team
Caseworkers, officers, and clinicians identify families during appointments and home visits and hand out fans directly, meeting people where they already are, with no extra steps required.
The Impact So Far
Since the initiative began in 2024, the Center has helped distribute over 150 fans to families across Travis County. What started as a response to one summer’s heat has become something bigger: a model for what’s possible when agencies work together. By pooling resources and removing barriers to access, we’re helping keep our neighbors safer, cooler, and supported when they need it most.
