NCCEV Press Releases

For immediate release: August 18th, 2005

Department of Justice Awards $6.2 Million To Support Children Exposed to Violence

On August 12, 2005,
the Office of Justice Programs issued the following press release: Washington, DC--The Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs (OJP) today announced $6.2 million in awards to 15 communities to support children and families exposed to violence, including experiencing and witnessing violent crime, sexual and physical assault, child abuse, and domestic violence.

"These awards will assist communities with early intervention, giving children exposed to violence much better opportunities for development of healthy behavior early in their lives," said Regina B. Schofield, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs. "Helping communities combat the long-term impact of violence in the life of a child reduces the potential for substance abuse problems, educational difficulties, mental health problems and other emotional and developmental challenges."

The grants are awarded under OJP's Safe Start Promising Approaches for Children Exposed to Violence program. Funds may be used to implement effective intervention strategies that curb children's exposure to violence. Safe Start Promising Approaches enables communities to strengthen existing alliances among community groups such as law enforcement, mental health practitioners, child welfare organizations and domestic violence victim advocates and providers, in order to supply the best services to meet the needs of young children and families who have been exposed to violence or who are at risk of exposure.

"A child who witnesses or is exposed to violence at a young age can experience severe trauma, and Safe Start provides these children with a chance to succeed in life," said J. Robert Flores, Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Safe Start Promising Approaches is the second phase of the Safe Start Initiative, which was created by OJP's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The original Safe Start, which included 11 sites nationwide, began in 2000 and focused on developing a systemic response to the problem of children's exposure to violence. Those sites received initial Safe Start funding to implement systems and develop enhanced policies and practices within their communities to better identify and serve children exposed to violence.

Resources:

For the full text of the press release, including the list of grantees, visit: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/pressreleases/SAFESTART081205.htm.