Carson City January 08, 2020
The Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) has released the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Assistance Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for state fiscal year (SFY) 2021.
The VOCA Formula Grant Program, created under the 1984 Victims of Crime Act, provides federal funding nationwide to support victim assistance and compensation programs, to provide training for diverse professionals who work with victims, to develop projects that enhance victims' rights and services, and to undertake public education and awareness activities on behalf of crime victims.
The VOCA Notice of Funding Opportunity was released on January 7, 2020, with a total funding amount of $20,000,000 to be awarded in State Fiscal Year 2021 includes $1,100,000 dedicated specifically for innovative programs and services.
Ross Armstrong, Administrator of DCFS, states, “We are excited to announce that a portion of this year’s VOCA funding will be dedicated to programs fostering innovation to ensure that DCFS is in alignment with the evolving needs for survivors of crime.”
The link to the VOCA SFY 2021 Notice of Funding Opportunity can be found on the DCFS website at http://dcfs.nv.gov/Programs/GMU/GMU/.
Under the VOCA Program Guidelines, funding priority is given to programs serving victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse with at least ten percent of each year's formula grant awarded for each category. An additional ten percent also must be awarded to victims of violent or property crime who are "previously underserved," which indicates that the particular victim population historically or currently has not had access to or been provided with specialized or adequate services. The previously underserved populations that will be targeted for funding are: Children and Minors, Immigrants, Elderly, People with Disabilities, LGBTQIA2+, Tribal Communities, and Homeless.
“We are hopeful this opportunity to provide targeted funding for services to populations that have traditionally been underserved will lead to more successful outcomes to those most vulnerable victims of crime in our state,” said Mandi Davis, Deputy Administrator of DCFS.
*Funding for SFY 2021 is dependent upon the Office of the Inspector General’s audit of the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child and Family Services being closed and subject to the availability of funds.