The grants to support families in the justice system program (referred to as the justice for families program) was authorized in the violence against women reauthorization act of 2013 to improve the…

The Department of Justice Offices Boards and Divisions Office on Violence Against Women awarded $650,000 to St. Louis County, Missouri under the Justice Systems Response to Families federal grant program (CFDA 16.021) to support the Justice for Families Program. The 36-month project grant, awarded October 1, 2021, will fund court-based and court-related programs, supervised visitation and safe exchange between parents, training for professionals working with families in the court system, civil legal services, and resources for juvenile court matters. All projects must address supervised visitation or court-based programs and partner with a domestic violence or sexual assault victim service provider and a court. The funding will improve how the civil and criminal justice systems respond to families affected by domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or child sexual abuse allegations.

The grants to support families in the justice system program (referred to as the justice for families program) was authorized in the violence against women reauthorization act of 2013 to improve the response of the civil and criminal justice system to families with a history of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking or in cases involving allegations of child sexual abuse. The program supports the following activities for improving the capacity of courts and communities to respond to families affected by the targeted crimes: court-based and court-related programs; supervised visitation and safe exchange by and between parents; training for people who work with families in the court system; civil legal services; and the provision of resources in juvenile court matters. All projects under the justice for families program must address supervised visitation or court-based and court-related programs. If a project is addressing supervised visitation, IT must also include activities under at least one additional purpose area, such as civil legal services, court-based and court-related programs, or training within the civil justice system. Court-based and court-related programs and services may be addressed on their own. Projects supported by the justice for families program focus on keeping victims and their children safe from further abuse and holding offenders accountable. All justice for families program projects must include formal partnerships with both a nonprofit, nongovernmental, or tribal domestic violence or sexual assault victim service provider and a court. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months.