Family Violence Prevention and Services Discretionary Grants: Specialized Services to Abused Parents and their Children (Demonstration Projects)

Background
The Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services program (OFVPS) Discretionary Grant Program under the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) aims to increase awareness and supportive services for victims/survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, and sexual assault. The program provides direct counseling, victim advocacy, and services to support the social, emotional, and developmental needs of adults, children, and youth who have been abused or exposed to domestic violence.

Grant Details
The grant will support fifty (50) demonstration projects focused on expanding the capacity of coalitions, local programs, and community-based programs to prevent future family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence by appropriately addressing the needs of children exposed to domestic violence, and the potentially co-occurring impacts of child abuse and neglect.

The activities required include direct counseling, developmentally appropriate services for victims and children, advocacy on behalf of victims/survivors of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence and their children, services for non-abusing parents to support their roles as caregivers, coordination with child welfare system services, referrals for children including child care and educational support, among others.

The program aims to improve systems and responses to abused parents and their children across the targeted community, state, or tribe by developing community-based interventions for children exposed to DV whose parents may or may not have sought support services from a domestic violence program. It also includes providing training or technical assistance to help make positive changes in various systems affecting child and youth development.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible entities include local agencies (such as county, city, or special district government entity), nonprofit private organizations including faith-based and charitable organizations serving a city, county, region, state or territory, as well as tribal organizations serving tribal communities. Individuals including sole proprietorships and foreign entities may not apply. Eligible applicants must have a demonstrated record of serving victims of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence and their children. They must also be direct domestic violence victim services providers or Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)-designated state domestic violence coalitions.

Period of Performance
The funding periods consist of a 24-month period with two 12-month budget periods. Under the authorizing statute, projects may only be awarded for two years with an opportunity for an additional continuation project of no more than two more years if approved by the ACF Assistant Secretary.

Grant Value
The estimated total program funding is $19,125,000 with a total expected awards of 50. The minimum award amount for the first budget period is $275,000 while the maximum award amount is $450,000.