The grants to prevent and respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and SEX trafficking against children and youth program supports comprehensive, community-based…

The U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women awarded a $500,000 Project Grant under the Consolidated And Technical Assistance Grant Program to Address Children and Youth Experiencing Domestic and Sexual Violence and Engage Men and Boys as Allies (CFDA 16.888). The grant supports a 36-month project by the Children's Home & Aid Society of Illinois, doing business as Brightpoint, to provide comprehensive, community-based prevention, intervention, treatment, and response services for children and youth aged 3-11 impacted by domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking. Key services include crisis counseling, parent-child therapy, case management, and educational programs. Brightpoint will also develop multidisciplinary coalitions to coordinate community linkages and advocacy, collaborate with domestic violence service providers to develop best practices recommendations, and partner with local organizations to deliver trainings on recognizing and responding to violence affecting children and youth.

The grants to prevent and respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and SEX trafficking against children and youth program supports comprehensive, community-based projects that develop or expand prevention, intervention, treatment, and response strategies to address the needs of children and youth impacted by domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and SEX trafficking, including support for their non-abusing parents, caregivers, and legal guardians. With this funding, childrens home & aid society of illinois (chas) will provide services to children and youth aged 3-11 as well as their caregivers in the service area of central illinois. Specifically, in partnership with champaign county childrens advocacy center, and champaign county probation and court services department, chas will: 1) implement a comprehensive and coordinated community-based model providing direct services and access to crisis counseling, parent-child therapy, case management, and educational programs; 2) develop a multidisciplinary coalition in each county as a platform for community linkages, identifying service gaps, and advocacy; 3) collaborate with the DV services providers partners to develop a set of recommendations to organizations about identifying the impact of children and youth exposed to domestic violence and best practices; and 4) partner with local schools, county sheriff departments, health departments, and early childhood centers to develop and deliver trainings on the effects of violence on children and youth, how to recognize signs of exposure to violence in children, and how to refer families for services. The project period for this award is 36 months.