Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) Grant Program

Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) Grant Program is sponsored by Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. Provides funding to Georgia agencies for trauma-informed emergency shelter and comprehensive support services for victims of domestic violence and their dependents.

The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA): | Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Agency Wide Processing Delays Click here for more information. The Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) is the federal agency that administers FVPSA State Formula Grant Funds to U.S. states and territories.

ACYF is committed to facilitating healing and recovery, and promoting the social and emotional wellbeing of victims, children, youth, and families who have experienced domestic violence, maltreatment, exposure to violence, and trauma. An important component of promoting wellbeing in this regard includes addressing the impact of trauma, which can have profound impacts on coping, resiliency, and skill development.

ACYF promotes a trauma-informed approach, which involves understanding and responding to the symptoms of chronic interpersonal trauma and traumatic stress across the lifespan. The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) provides the primary federal funding stream dedicated to the support of emergency shelter and supportive services for victims of domestic violence and their dependents.

Enacted by Congress in 1984, FVPSA is intended to help states: raise public awareness about domestic violence; prevent its occurrence; and create, maintain, and expand services for victims of domestic violence and their dependents.

FVPSA grant funds were the first dollars appropriated at the federal level to assist states in responding to and preventing incidents of family violence and it continues to be the primary source of dedicated funding for domestic violence shelters and support services.

It helps fund core domestic violence services across the country, including crisis response, safe housing, advocacy, counseling, legal assistance, safety planning, and comprehensive support.

CJCC uses FVPSA dollars to: 1) assist states in efforts to increase public awareness about, and primary and secondary prevention of, family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence; and 2) assist states in efforts to provide immediate shelter and supportive services for victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence, and their dependents.

CJCC must ensure that not less than 70 percent of the funds distributed are used for the primary purpose of providing immediate shelter and supportive services to adult and youth victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence, and their dependents; not less than 25 percent of the funds will be used for the purpose of providing supportive services and prevention services and not more than 5 percent of the FVPSA grant funds may be used for state administrative costs.

Mini-grants- CJCC periodically releases special project grants that assist with non-residential supportive services.

These grants typically have two priority areas: 1) community-based organization that provide domestic violence services and 2) non-residential, supportive services for domestic violence organizations with capacity to shelter that serve; with the intent to serve one or more of the below special population: Victims with Mental Health and/or Substance Abuse Issues Victims Located in Rural Areas Victims Who Are Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations