The rural domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking program (rural program) is authorized by 34 U.S.C. 12341

The Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women awarded Friends of the Child Advocacy Center, Inc. $699,941 on October 1, 2025, under the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589) to support victim services and prevention work in rural communities through September 30, 2028.

Friends of the Child Advocacy Center, Inc., a tax-exempt nonprofit headquartered in Eugene, Oregon, will deliver comprehensive victim advocacy and support services addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking affecting child, youth, and adult victims in rural Lane County. The work encompasses cooperative efforts among law enforcement, prosecutors, and victim service providers; direct victim services including treatment, counseling, and legal assistance; prevention and education strategies; and expansion of sexual assault forensic examination and sexual assault nurse examiner programs. Siuslaw Outreach Services serves as a partner in the effort. Performance occurs at the recipient's location in Eugene, Oregon 97401.

The Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program funds activities that identify, assess, and respond to victims in rural communities; establish and expand victim services; increase safety and well-being through direct response and prevention; and develop or improve sexual assault forensic medical examination and nurse examiner programs. Grantees must employ at least one of five designated strategies, including cooperative investigation and prosecution efforts, victim services delivery, community-based prevention, sexual assault program development, or focus on the needs of victims in remote and geographically isolated areas.

Rural program funds are used to support programs that: 1) identify, assess, and appropriately respond to child, youth, and adult victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in rural communities; 2) establish and expand victim services in rural communities to child, youth, and adult victims; 3) increase the safety and well-being of women and children in rural communities, by (a) dealing directly and immediately with domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking; and (B) creating and implementing strategies to increase awareness and prevent these crimes; and 4) develop, expand, implement, and improve the quality of sexual assault forensic medical examination or sexual assault nurse examiner programs. Grantees must use at least one of the following strategies in implementing their projects: 1) implement, expand, and establish cooperative efforts and projects among law enforcement officers, prosecutors, victim service providers, and other related parties to investigate and prosecute incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; 2) provide treatment, counseling, advocacy, legal assistance, and other long-term and short-term victim and population specific services to adult and minor victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in rural communities; 3) work in cooperation with the community to develop education and prevention strategies directed toward such issues; 4) develop, enlarge, or strengthen programs addressing sexual assault; and 5) develop programs and strategies that focus on the specific needs of victims of who reside in remote rural and geographically isolated areas. Through this new OVW rural program project, friends of the child advocacy center, INC., in partnership with siuslaw outreach services, the lane county DAS office, DHS, parole & probation, and the sheriffs office will implement the kids first program. This victim services project addresses the following purpose areas: 1,2, and 3 in lane county, oregon. Specific activities will include: 1) conducting assessments for child abuse victims, such as forensic interviews and medical exams; 2) providing case management, crisis intervention, mental health screenings, and criminal justice support; 3) delivering peer review and complex case consultation to medical professionals to improve rural capacity to recognize and respond to abuse; 4) supporting multidisciplinary responses to child sexual assault, trafficking, and domestic violence witnessed by children through case coordination and team meetings; and 5) coordinating targeted trainings for law enforcement, child welfare, and multi-disciplinary team professionals to enhance identification, referrals, and trauma-informed response.