Federal Grant Award Summary

The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault, Inc. a $700,000 continuation project grant under the Justice Systems Response to Families Program (CFDA 16.021) effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028. This three-year award supports a comprehensive justice system response to families in eastern South Dakota affected by domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and child sexual abuse allegations. The project delivers three primary service categories: supervised visitation and safe exchange services, lethality assessments and compliance monitoring for misdemeanor domestic violence cases, and civil legal services for survivors pursuing protection orders.

The initiative operates through a coordinated partnership including Safe Place of Eastern South Dakota Family Visitation Center, Second Circuit Court, Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota, East River Legal Services, and additional justice system and victim advocacy stakeholders. Safe Place of Eastern South Dakota provides free supervised visitation and safe exchange services following OVW safety guidelines for families involved in intimate partner violence cases, while Lutheran Social Services conducts ongoing lethality assessments and compliance monitoring for misdemeanor domestic abuse cases with findings reported to the courts. The program is designed to enhance court and community capacity to keep victims and children safe while holding offenders accountable through coordinated judicial system interventions in Sioux Falls and surrounding eastern South Dakota regions.