HHS Awards $9.85 Million to Support Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Victims and their Children

Washington, D.C. — Today, the Administration of Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced awards totaling $9.85 million in Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) funding to support 39 new competitive discretionary grants.

“We are pleased to issue new awards and deepen our partnerships to build community-based supports nationwide for survivors of domestic violence and their families,” said ACF Acting Assistant Secretary Jeff Hild. “Listening to and following the lead of people with lived experience is central to the ACF’s goal to meet people where they are with the services and supports they need, and these grants reflect that priority.”

These new discretionary grants, awarded just ahead of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and issued by the Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services at ACF, will implement trauma-informed and culturally relevant services, training and technical assistance for survivors of dating violence, domestic violence and sexual assault nationwide.

“The new awards build a stronger public health response to violence, trauma and abuse, increasing safe and equitable access to survivor-centered, trauma-informed interventions for adults, children, youth and individuals impacted by dating violence, family violence, domestic violence, and sexual assault every day in this country,” said ACF Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services Director Shawndell Dawson. “These new awards build upon the 39 years that FVPSA funding has supported culturally relevant and linguistically appropriate services for survivors from underserved and historically marginalized communities.” 

OFVPS awarded $1 million in FVPSA funding to support an Alaska Native Tribal Resource Center on Domestic Violence (ANTRC). The ANTRC will focus on the intervention and prevention of family violence, domestic violence and dating violence by offering statewide information, training and technical assistance specifically designed to reduce tribal disparities within Alaska Native communities and villages. The purpose of this center is to enhance the capacity of Alaska Native tribes and tribal organizations to respond to family violence, domestic violence and dating violence in a culturally sensitive, relevant and effective manner.

OFVPS awarded a total of $1 million in FVPSA funding to support two cooperative agreements for sexual assault capacity building centers.  These centers will work nationwide to build and sustain organizational capacity in delivering trauma-informed and developmentally sensitive and relevant services for children, individuals and families affected by sexual assault, domestic violence and other traumas. This discretionary grant program will build upon the progress of community-based sexual assault and domestic violence programs in reducing the pervasive and harmful impact of violence and trauma by implementing trauma-informed services for individuals and families.

OFVPS awarded $350,000 in FVPSA funding to support a culturally specific sexual assault capacity building center for the African American community. This center will provide capacity building resources, training and technical assistance for sexual assault programs serving survivors from racial/ethnic specific populations, underserved communities and historically marginalized communities.

OFVPS awarded $7.5 million in FVPSA funding to support 35 cooperative agreements to support culturally specific domestic violence and sexual assault grants for culturally specific organizations to build and sustain organizational capacity in delivering trauma-informed, developmentally sensitive, culturally relevant services for children, individuals and families affected by sexual assault, domestic violence and other traumas. These community-based organizations will support culturally specific and community-based sexual assault and domestic violence programs in reducing the pervasive and harmful impact of violence and trauma by implementing culturally relevant, trauma-informed and evidence-informed interventions for individuals and families who are from diverse, underserved and historically marginalized communities.

The following agencies were awarded funding to address domestic violence and sexual assault:

Alaska Native Tribal Resource Center on Domestic Violence 

This three-year cooperative agreement begins September 30, 2023 and ends September 29, 2026. 

Two Sexual Assault Capacity Building Centers

This three-year cooperative agreement begins September 30, 2023 and ends September 29, 2026.

Culturally Specific Sexual Assault Capacity Building Center for the African American Community

This two-year cooperative agreement begins September 30, 2023 and ends September 29, 2025. 

35 Culturally Specific Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Discretionary Grants

This four-year cooperative agreement begins September 30, 2023 and ends September 29, 2027. 

The Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services at ACF administers the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, the only federal funding source dedicated to shelter and supportive services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence and family violence.  Each year the office administers $240 million dollars in FVPSA funding to 335 states, tribes, coalitions, resource centers and discretionary grant recipients. The office administers $20.5 million dollars in FVPSA funding to operate a national domestic violence hotline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, offering confidential support to survivors by phone, text or chat.

For more information on the Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ofvps

All ACF news releases, fact sheets, and blogs are available on the Media Room page. Follow ACF on Twitter for more updates.

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