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 Partnership For Families, Children And Adults, Inc. $699,999 under the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589) on October 1, 2025, for performance through September 30, 2028.

Partnership For Families, Children And Adults will implement a coordinated community response to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in rural Chattanooga, Tennessee, in collaboration with Parkridge Hospital West. The project will identify, assess, and appropriately respond to child, youth, and adult victims of these crimes in rural communities; establish and expand victim services; increase the safety and well-being of women and children through direct intervention and prevention strategies; and develop or improve sexual assault forensic medical examination and sexual assault nurse examiner programs.

The funding is assistance type Project Grant. Partnership For Families, Children And Adults is a tax-exempt nonprofit based in Chattanooga that has received federal awards since 2005 and operates as a domestic shelter and community services provider serving populations experiencing homelessness, domestic violence, sexual assault, and related victimization.

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, the partnership for families, children, and adults, in collaboration with parkridge hospital west, will implement the marion county sexual assault forensic exam (SAFE) program. This victim services, forensic nursing, and sexual assault response team project will address the following purpose areas: 1, 2, 3, and 4 in marion county, tennessee. Specific activities will include: 1) developing a sexual assault response team (SART) for a collaborative approach across service providers, law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and other criminal justice service providers, community service providers, and health care providers; 2) developing policies and protocols to effectively identify, address, and appropriately respond to sexual assault crimes in marion county; 3) coordinating community-based trainings to educate about sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE) services for marion county and support services for sexual assault victims; 4) providing SANE services on a 24/7 basis in marion county; and 5) providing comprehensive services to directly benefit the residents in marion county who are impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence.