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 Office on Violence Against Women awarded $600,000 to YWCA of Greater Harrisburg Inc. on October 1, 2025, under the Justice Systems Response to Families Program (CFDA 16.021) as a continuation award.

YWCA of Greater Harrisburg will provide supervised visitation and safe exchange services for approximately 750 families and civil legal services to approximately 420 victims of domestic violence in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. The organization partners with the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleals for the 12th Judicial District and Dauphin County Children and Youth Services to deliver these services.

The award funds a three-year continuation from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028. Work is performed in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This award continues prior grant 15JOVW-22-GG-00222-JFFX.

The Justice Systems Response to Families Program supports court-based and court-related programs, supervised visitation and safe exchange, training for people working with families in the court system, civil legal services, and resources in juvenile court matters. Projects focus on keeping victims and their children safe from further abuse and holding offenders accountable in cases involving 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. 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 continuation of the justice for families project, the ywca greater harrisburg, in partnership with the dauphin county court of common pleas for the 12TH judicial district and children and youth services from dauphin county, will provide supervised visitation and safe exchange serves for approximately 750 families and provide civil legal services to approximately 420 victims of domestic violence in dauphin county, PA. This is a continuation of award no. 15JOVW-22-GG-00222-jffx.