By John D. Etchemendy, Program Director with the Resource Center on Domestic Violence: Child Protection and Custody, a project of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
Over the last thirty-five years, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) has provided critical financial support to thousands of domestic violence shelters and programs in every state and territory, and to hundreds of tribes. It supports the work of state coalitions, and engages and mobilizes communities.
Child welfare and custody systems, laws, and practices vary from state to state. Survivors of domestic violence with children must navigate these systems, often while facing significant social, financial and logistical barriers that make it challenging to leave, protect themselves and their children, and move forward with their lives.
At the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, one of the largest and oldest judicial membership organizations in the nation, FVPSA funds the Resource Center on Domestic Violence: Child Protection and Custody (RCDV:CPC). This resource center provides training and technical assistance to professionals seeking to improve outcomes on child protection cases that involve domestic violence. The resource center team also supports and consults on custody and parenting time decision-making and safe options for victims of domestic violence and their children. Because of FVPSA, the Council is also able to engage with other national TA providers, resource centers, coalitions and advocates on policy reform initiatives in these areas and inform our judicial membership.
We are honored to be able to do this work and we wish everyone at FVPSA a “Happy 35th Anniversary”.