To better meet the needs of children and families in the Southeast, the boards of directors of Tennessee-based Youth Villages and Georgia-based Inner Harbour have agreed in principle to a merger.

"We've been familiar with Inner Harbour's great work for many years," said Patrick Lawler, chief executive officer of Youth Villages, "and we're very excited to have them join the Youth Villages family. We feel honored to have this opportunity to bring two highly effective organizations together to strengthen services."

The merger is expected to be finalized later this year.

"This joining of these two great organizations will allow us to do more for children and families in the Southeast," said Ron Scroggy, chief executive officer of Inner Harbour. "This partnership is a great opportunity. First and foremost, we know that this will positively affect the children and families we serve in the region. It will also be beneficial for our dedicated staff, as well as our public and private funders."

About Inner Harbour:

Inner Harbour is one of the largest intensive residential treatment centers for children and youth in Georgia. Located in Douglasville, the private nonprofit was established in 1962 and has developed a wide range of residential-based programs. It serves more than 850 children each year with 350 employees and an operating budget of $21 million. www.innerharbour.org

About Youth Villages:

Youth Villages was founded in Memphis in 1986 and now helps nearly 14,000 children and families in 10 states and Washington, D.C. It offers a wide array of research-based services, including intensive in-home services, residential treatment, foster care and adoption, transitional living services, mentoring and crisis services. The private, nonprofit organization began offering intensive in-home services in Georgia in 2008. Youth Villages employs nearly 1,900 people and has an operating budget of $133 million. www.youthvillages.org