Ending Abuse—Improving Lives - Florida Department of Children ...

Grant ProgramsThe Domestic Violence Program Office was responsiblefor administering and managing several federal and stategrant programs, totaling approximately $27.6 million duringFY 2005-2006. These funds went to community andstatewide programs to operate domestic violence centers;assist victims transitioning from welfare to work; enhancevictim services; provide domestic violence education forlaw enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges, and thepublic; and many other life saving activities. A descriptionof each grant program is provided.Family Violence Prevention and Services ActThe Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA)allots funds to states based on a formula, for the purposeof assisting in the prevention of family violence and theprovision of immediate shelter and related assistance forvictims of family violence and their dependents. Florida’sallotment is allocated by the Legislature to Florida’s certifieddomestic violence centers in order to provide emergencyshelter, counseling, information and referral, twenty-fourhour hotline, case management, child assessment, communityeducation and professional training services todomestic violence victims and the public at large. During FY2005-2006, the department received $3,888,144 from the USDepartment of Health and Human Services, which providesan integral part of each certified domestic violence center’sbudget. A small percentage goes to support the trainingand technical assistance efforts of the Florida CoalitionAgainst Domestic Violence.TANF Domestic Violence Diversion ProgramThe Federal Personal Responsibility and Work OpportunityReconciliation Act of 1996 provided states the option ofdeveloping a state program to address issues of domesticviolence for recipients of the Temporary Assistance for NeedyFamilies (TANF) program. In recognition of the federal option,the Florida Legislature created the Domestic Violence DiversionProgram to provide support services to victims who areunable to participate in training or work requirements due tosafety considerations or the residual effects of the violence.(See Chapter 414, F.S.) Florida’s certified domestic violencecenters play a pivotal role in providing safety and support tothese TANF clients.The department provided $7,750,000 in TANF funds in FY2005-2006 to certified domestic violence centers for provisionof counseling and other related services to eligibleclients. Regional Workforce Boards, service agencies andother sources refer clients to the certified domestic violencecenters. The funds ($500,000) also allow the FloridaCoalition Against Domestic Violence to provide domesticviolence training for the department’s Welfare TransitionProgram employees who work with TANF recipients. TheUS Department of Health and Human Services providesfunds to the department.Violence Against Women ActThe department directed three grants under the ViolenceAgainst Women Act Program, which is administered by theUS Department of Justice. The Grants to Encourage ArrestPolicies and Enforcement of Protection Orders and the RuralDomestic Violence and Child Victimization EnforcementGrant are discretionary grants. The STOP Violence AgainstWomen is a formula grant.Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcementof Protection OrdersThe Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcementof Protection Orders program is a discretionary grant toencourage states, units of local government, and Indiantribal governments to treat domestic violence as a seriousviolation of criminal law. Funding from this grant was usedto support training for the state’s fatality review teams. Thegrant period ended in December 2005.Rural Domestic Violence and Child Victimization EnforcementProjectThe Department of Children and Families received a$900,000 federal grant in September 2003, for domesticviolence services in Florida’s rural communities. The grantfunds the Rural Domestic Violence and Child VictimizationEnforcement Project, a two-year statewide initiative to helpchildren from violent homes by providing direct servicesto rural areas and migrant farm working communities. Theproject also is intended to increase awareness of the effectsof domestic violence on children and of the relationshipbetween domestic violence and child maltreatment.The project is coordinated by a partnership between theDomestic Violence Program Office, the Florida CoalitionAgainst Domestic Violence, the Florida State University Institutefor Family Violence Studies, and ten local domesticviolence service providers. The grant funds the followingmeasures:• Places child advocates in rural communities;• Provides advocacy, crisis counseling, supportgroups, safety planning, and community educationservices to rural and migrant farm working childrenDomestic Violence Annual Report 2005-200647