The mississippi band of choctaw indians requested funding to support its choctaw childrens advocacy center (CAC)

The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians was awarded a $450,000 Project Grant under the Children's Justice Act Partnerships for Indian Communities (CFDA 16.583) program, administered by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance. The grant will support the tribe's Choctaw Children's Advocacy Center by funding: (1) a full-time victim advocate to provide support services to child abuse victims and their families; (2) equipment and supplies for the advocacy center; (3) a full-time forensic interviewer to conduct interviews with child abuse victims; and (4) training for the tribe's multidisciplinary child maltreatment response team. This funding will enable the tribe to enhance its comprehensive, culturally competent approach to investigating, prosecuting, and supporting victims of child abuse within the Choctaw community over a 3-year project period beginning October 1, 2024.

With this funding, the tribe will: 1) hire a 100% FTE victim advocate to support child abuse victims and their families through advocacy, referrals, and transportation assistance among other services; (2) purchase equipment and supplies to support the CAC; (3) support a 100% FTE forensic interviewer to conduct forensic interviews with victims of child abuse; and, (4) train members of its multi-disciplinary child maltreatment response team