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 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. Projects supported by the justice for families program are those that focus on keeping victims and their children safe from further abuse and holding offenders accountable. Through this new justice for families project, ywca of clark county, in partnership with clark county superior court and clark county volunteer lawyers program, will implement a standard project addressing the following purpose areas: 5) court and court-based programs; and 6) civil legal assistance in clark county, washington. This project will address priority area 2: access to justice. Specific activities will include: 1) supporting a 1.0 FTE legal services manager to provide court advocacy; 2) coordinating with volunteer attorneys to provide civil legal services; and 3) developing a formal intake center in the courthouse.