Victims of Child Abuse (16.547)
Program
16.547 Victims of Child Abuse
Federal Agency
OFFICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS, OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Authorization
Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990, Public Law 101-647.
Program Number
16.547
Last Known Status
Active
Objectives
To develop model technical assistance and training programs to improve the courts' handling of child abuse and neglect cases to facilitate the adoption of laws to protect children against the potential second assault of the courtroom proceeding; to address the present situation in which many States have adopted innovative procedures that have far outpaced Federal law, leaving those children who do enter the Federal system inadequately protected; to address the inconsistency and disparity among State laws on child abuse; to train criminal justice system personnel on up-to-date, innovative techniques for investigating and prosecuting child abuse cases; and, to promote a multidisciplinary approach to coordinating the investigations and prosecution of child abuse cases and, thereby, limiting the number of pre-trial interviews a child must go through as well as better assure the accuracy of each interview, and to increase the number of communities making use of a Children's Advocacy Center approach to the investigation, prosecution and treatment of child abuse cases. The National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association provides technical assistance, information and support to local CASA programs, as well as assists communities in developing new programs, and provides support to existing and developing State organizations on issues such as the development of goals and objectives, State legislation, and State standards to strengthen local programs. Assist communities in developing child-focused programs designed to improve the resources available to children and families; provide support to non-offending family members; enhance coordination among community agencies, professionals, and provide medical support to health care and mental health care professionals involved in the intervention, prevention, prosecution, and investigation systems that respond to child abuse cases. The American Prosecutors Research Institute's National Center for the Prosecution of Child Abuse (NCPCA) pursues improvement of the quality of child abuse prosecution by providing training and technical assistance in the subject area.
Types of Assistance
Project Grants.
Uses and Use Restrictions
Funds are available specifically to achieve the objectives of the Judicial Child Abuse Training, Investigation and Prosecution of Child Abuse Through the Criminal Justice System, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), and the Regional and Local Advocacy Centers.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
Eligible applicants are designated in the congressional appropriations process for judicial child abuse training, investigation and prosecution of child abuse through the criminal justice system, and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). Local nonprofit agencies/organizations may apply to National Court Appointed Special Advocates (NCASA) for State CASA programs and to start or expand local court appointed special advocate programs. Advocacy centers or agencies/organizations interested in start-up of children's advocacy centers may apply to the National Children's Alliance (NCA) for funds awarded to them by OJJDP for this purpose.
Beneficiary Eligibility
Public or private agencies/organizations addressing child abuse problem.
Credentials/Documentation
Cost will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments, A-21 for educational institutions, and A-122 for nonprofit organizations.
Application and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure
Procedures for application for funds to support CASA programs will be available through competitive proposals issued by National Court Appointed Special Advocates (NCASA), 100 W. Harrison St., North Tower, Suite 500, Seattle, Washington 98119-4123; and funds to support local children's advocacy centers will be available through solicitations issued by the National Children's Alliance (NCA) 1612 K Street, NW., Ste 500, Washington, DC 20006.
Award Procedure
Award package is sent to grantee. Procedures for applications for CASA and local children's advocacy funds will be provided in the solicitations for competitive proposals issued by NCASA and NCA.
Deadlines
None.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Appeals
Not applicable.
Renewals
The terms for these grant program budget periods range from 12 to 36 months.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Not applicable.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Grants are generally awarded for a 12 to 24 month time period, but may be awarded for up to 36 month project period.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
Final financial reports and semi-annual and final program performance reports will be required as stipulated in the effective edition of the OJP Financial Guide. Similar reporting requirements will be required by NCASA and NCA to satisfy Federal requirements.
Audits
All organizations that expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more in any fiscal year must have a single audit for that year in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-133, as amended, unless the audit condition on the award says otherwise. These audits are due to the cognizant Federal agency not later than 9 months after the end of the grantee's fiscal year.
Records
Grantee must keep complete records on the disposition of funds.
Program Accomplishments
The NCPCA responded to nearly 2,000 calls for consultation and technical assistance and staff trained about 13,000 child abuse control professionals during fiscal year 2002. NCPCA also assisted three states in setting up a statewide training institute providing forensic interviewing skills development as part of Half a Nation by 2010 program. During 2002, technical assistance and training was provided by NCASA to 898 local CASA programs and 50 state organizations with 67,000 volunteers representing service to 265,000 children. A range of technical assistance materials were disseminated, and funds were made available to 80 new organizations/agencies either operating CASAS for start-up or to statewide CASA programs. Responses were provided to approximately 21,364 requests for technical assistance. (1) Under the 2002 Model Courts program, 9,070 resource packets were distributed to staff of the nation's juvenile and family courts to assist them in improving the handling of child abuse cases. These materials were developed by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges which worked with 24 jurisdictions to replicate the demonstration court model; (2) The National Council also conducted 78 national, state and local training programs for judicial personnel and others. Based upon lessons learned in the 24 Model Courts, the National Council also developed six new technical assistance publications; (3) the Children's Advocacy Center (CAC) program, as carried out by the National Children's Alliance and the four regional CACs, works to strengthen and increase the number of jurisdictions making use of CAC and multi-disciplinary approaches to investigation and prosecution of child abuse and neglect. In 2002, as a result of grant funds and training and technical assistance, the number of CACs in local communities continued to increase. Currently, there are 409 full and associate CACs, over 200 programs in some form of developments, and 36 state and Native American chapters. Through the NCA, 414 subgrants were made to local communities and the Regional CACs provided 1,797 technical assistance consultations and provided 156 training events.
Financial Information
Account Identification
15-0405-0-1-754.
Obligations
(Grants) FY 02 $8,483,350; FY 03 est $9,613,273; and FY 04 est $8,481,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Not applicable.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
Applications and current edition of the OJP Financial Guide, are available upon request.
Related Programs
None.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
None.
Headquarters Office
Ron Laney, Director, Child Protection Division, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. 20531. Telephone (202) 616- 3637.
Web Site Address
Examples of Funded Projects
Not applicable.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
By congressional designation, funds will be made available specifically for the Judicial Child Abuse Training to the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, for the Investigation and Prosecution of Child Abuse through the Criminal Justice System to the American Prosecutor Research Institute, Court Appointed Special Advocates and the National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association, for the development of local Children's Advocacy Centers through the National Children's Alliance Centers and the four Regional Children's Advocacy Centers.
