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 Women Against Abuse, Inc. (WAA) $600,000 on October 1, 2025, under the Justice Systems Response to Families Program (CFDA 16.021) to sustain and expand victim advocacy and legal services in Philadelphia's justice system response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

WAA will partner with the Domestic Relations Division and Criminal Division of the Court of Common Pleas of the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, the Criminal Division of the Municipal Court of the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, and the Adult Probation and Parole Department of the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania to deliver the following services: sustain and expand a victim services specialist position; sustain a court-based advocate to provide courtroom advocacy for domestic violence victims; support a supervising attorney to provide legal representation for domestic violence victims; and deliver training to judges and court staff on the dynamics of domestic violence and trauma. This is a continuation award of prior grant 2017-FJ-AX-0009.

The award runs from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028, with place of performance in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Justice Systems Response to Families Program supports court-based and court-related programs, supervised visitation and safe exchange services, training for people who work with families in the court system, civil legal services, and juvenile court resources to improve the capacity of courts and communities to respond to families affected by these crimes while keeping victims and their children safe and holding offenders accountable.

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 justice for families project, women against abuse, INC. (WAA), in partnership with the domestic relations division of the court of common pleas of the first judicial district of pennsylvania (domestic relations court), the criminal division of the court of common pleas of the first judicial district of pennsylvania (criminal court), the criminal division of the municipal court of the first judicial district of pennsylvania (municipal court), and the adult probation and parole department of the first judicial district of pennsylvania (appd), willsustain and expand the victim services specialist position; sustain a court-based advocate to ensure victims have continued advocacy in the courtroom; support a supervising attorney to provide legal representation for victims of domestic violence; and provide training to judges and court staff on the dynamics of domestic violence and trauma in the city and county of philadelphia. This is a continuation of 2017-FJ-AX-0009.