Two Carbon County agencies are exploring the possibility of merging forces.

Over the past few months, a committee between the Interagency Council and Child and Family Collaborative has been looking at possibly merging the two entities because they both focus on providing services in the county.Jeanne Miller, co-chairwoman of the Child and Family Collaborative, said that she thinks the merger would "make sense.""With limited social capital and resources that are stretched to the limit, joining the two boards will strengthen our efforts to hone in on community needs while decreasing duplication," Miller said.Mindy Graver, treasurer of the IAC and a member of the Child and Family Collaborative, said that the reason for discussing a merger is because "we seem to serve the same or similar agencies."She added a number of discussions will be happening with both groups before a final decision is made, including the collecting of dues, a mission statement that encompasses the purpose of both groups, defining membership and various duties and roles of a combined group.Both groups will look at a draft of bylaws as well as have open discussions on their feelings.Graver said that for a merger to occur, the majority of both groups will need to approve it.Neither Graver nor Miller said if formal action will be taken by either group at their upcoming meetings. The Child and Family Collaborative meets on Sept. 10 and IAC meets on Sept. 18.If the organizations vote to merge, the first joint meeting of the groups will be held on Nov. 12.The IAC was formed in 1988 and has aimed to serve human service entities in the county to help improve the lives of county residents.The Child and Family Collaborative is a board that was created by Partners for Progress as a way to help children and families.The two organizations have partnered together over the past few years, hosting the annual Legislative Brunch for the county.