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 Office on Violence Against Women awarded The Personal Development Center, Inc. $700,000 on October 1, 2025, under the Justice Systems Response to Families Program (CFDA 16.021) to provide supervised visitation and safe exchange services to families affected by domestic violence in northern Wood County, southwestern Marathon County, and Clark County, Wisconsin.

The recipient, in partnership with the Wisconsin Wood County Court System and the Wisconsin Clark County Court System, will conduct outreach to victims in rural areas to improve access to courts and provide legal advocacy for victims seeking orders of protection. The award supports the program's statutory focus on coordinated systems and community approaches to domestic violence court cases, with emphasis on keeping victims and their children safe from further abuse while holding offenders accountable.

The period of performance runs through September 30, 2028. Work is performed in Marshfield, Wisconsin.

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, the personal development center, INC., in partnership with the wisconsin wood county court system and the wisconsin clark county court system, will provide supervised visitation and safe exchange services to families impacted by domestic violence; conductoutreach to victims in rural areas to improve access to the courts; and providelegal advocacy for victims seeking to obtain orders of protection for northern wood county, southwestern marathon county, and clark county in wisconsin. The project will address the following special statutory considerations: coordinated systems and community approach to domestic violence court cases.