The Crime Victims Fund was established by the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA) and serves as a major funding source for victim services throughout the country. The funds come from the federal VOCA Fund that consists entirely of fines and penalties paid by convicted federal criminals. The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) makes annual VOCA crime victim assistance grants from the Fund to states. The Victim Assistance component was established to support the provision of direct services to innocent victims of violent crime and to provide that assistance as soon as possible in order to reduce the severity of the psychological and emotional consequences of the victimization and to demonstrate on-going support for the victim in coping with the impact of the victimization.the purpose of the VOCA-Victim Assistance grant program is to provide direct services to all crime victims, regardless of their ability to pay.
Services are defines as those efforts that:
Each state grantee receives a base amount of $500,000.00. Remaining funds are distributed based upon the State’s population in relation to other States.
For the purpose of the VOCA Crime Victim Assistance Grant Program, a crime victim is a person who has suffered physical, sexual, financial, or emotional harm as a result of the commission of a crime.
VOCA funds support programs that provide direct services to victims of violent crimes with a focus on victims in the following categories:
These funds are administered through the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime. At the State level, the Criminal Justice Council established the Victims Services Advisory Committee to assist in the distribution of these funds.
The Victims of Crime Assistance Program requires a 20% agency match. In the event that the match requirement poses a hardship, please see our VOCA Match Waiver Policy (updated December 2021).
For more information on the Victims of Crime Act in Delaware contact Terica Jones
The Family Violence Prevention and Services Grant Program (authorized by Title III of the Child Abuse Amendments of 1984: The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, 1986) was established to assist states in supporting the establishment, maintenance, and expansion of programs and projects to prevent incidents of family violence and provide immediate shelter and related assistance for victims of family violence and their dependents.
Family Violence Prevention and Services funds are granted to States based on a population formula. Each State is allotted the base amount of $600,000.00 with the remaining funds allotted in an amount that bears the same ratio to the remaining funds as the population of the State has to the population to all other States.
For the purpose of this program, family violence is defined as any act or threatened act of violence, including any forceful detention of an individual, which (a) results or threatens to result in physical injury and (b) is committed by a person against another individual (including an elderly person) to whom such person is or was related by blood or marriage or otherwise legally related or with whom such person is or was lawfully residing.
Services and activities that can be provided/conducted with the funds include:
These funds awarded to Delaware support five established domestic violence shelters. The shelter based programs provide comprehensive services including, but not limited to, child therapy; counseling; emergency assistance; emergency housing; prevention; transitional services; job training and search assistance; G.E.D. preparation; community-based services; collaboration between Child Protective Services and domestic violence shelters. One shelter, operated by bilingual staff, provides services to Latino domestic violence victims.
These funds are administered through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Community Services. At the State level, the Criminal Justice Council’s Victims Services Advisory Committee to assist in the distribution of these funds.
For more information on the use of Family Violence Prevention and Services funding in Delaware contact Kathleen Kelley.
VAWA Information
Under the leadership of then-Senator Joe Biden, Congress recognized the severity of violence against women and our need for a national strategy with the enactment of the Violence Against Women Act (“VAWA”) in 1994. This landmark federal legislation’s comprehensive approach to violence against women combined tough new provisions to hold offenders accountable with programs to provide services for the victims of such violence. VAWA created the first U.S. federal legislation acknowledging domestic violence and sexual assault as crimes, and provided federal resources to encourage community-coordinated responses to combating violence.
Its reauthorization in 2000 improved the foundation established by VAWA 1994 by creating a much-needed legal assistance program for victims and by expanding the definition of crime to include dating violence and stalking. Its subsequent reauthorization in 2005 took a more holistic approach to addressing these crimes and created new programs to meet the emerging needs of communities working to prevent violence. Included in the 2005 reauthorization were new focus areas such as prevention, landmark housing protections for survivors, funding for rape crisis centers, and culturally- and linguistically-specific services.
VAWA was reauthorized, and signed by President Obama on March 7, 2013. “VAWA 2013” reauthorized and improved upon lifesaving services for all victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking – including Native women, immigrants, LGBT victims, college students and youth, and public housing residents.
VAWA 2013 also authorized appropriate funding to provide for VAWA’s vitally important programs and protections, without imposing limitations that undermine effectiveness or victim safety.
VAWA established several grant programs (formula and discretionary) to provide assistance to states for the development and strengthening of effective law enforcement and prosecution strategies and victim services in cases involving violence crimes against women. These grant programs are administered through the U.S. Department of Justice,Violence Against Women Grants Office. In Delaware, the Violence Against Women Act Implementation Committee oversees the distribution of these funds. All funding recommendations are approved by both the Criminal Justice Council and the State Domestic Violence Coordinating Council.
Two of the formula grant programs that will continue under VAWA 2013 are: the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant and the Sexual Assault Services Program Grant.
STOP (Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grants to States
The STOP Program promotes a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach to enhancing advocacy and improving the criminal justice system’s response to violent crimes against women. It encourages the development and improvement of effective law enforcement and prosecution strategies to address violent crimes against women and the development and improvement of advocacy and services in cases involving violent crimes against women.
In the distribution of funds, the State must ensure that at least 5%t will be allocated to State and local courts including juvenile courts; at least 25% will be allocated for law enforcement; at least 25% will be allocated for prosecutors; and, at least 30% will be allocated for nonprofit, nongovernmental victim services, of which at least 10% is to be distributed to culturally specific community-based organizations. 20% of the overall funding must go to meaningfully address sexual assault in two or more categories.
States must submit Implementation Plans to OVW to describe the State’s use of the STOP Grant. Delaware’s last approved plan was for the FFY2017-FFY2020.
Please follow this link to view a copy of the FFY2017-FFY2020 STOP Implementation Plan. Please contact Terica Jones with questions, comments, or more information.
The STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant is awarded to Delaware by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. The CJC distributes the State’s award through subgrants to eligible agencies. The CJC and DVCC rely on the work of the VAWA Implementation Committee to assist Staff in the distribution of these funds.
For more information on the STOP Program in Delaware contact: Terica Jones
The Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP) was created by the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 (VAWA 2005), 42 U.S.C. §14043g, and is the first Federal funding stream solely dedicated to the provision of direct intervention and related assistance for victims of sexual assault. The SASP encompasses four different funding streams for 1) States and Territories, 2) Tribes, 3) State and Tribal sexual assault coalitions, and 4) culturally specific organizations.
Overall, the purpose of SASP is to provide intervention, advocacy, accompaniment (e.g., accompanying victims to court, medical facilities, police departments, etc.), support services, and related assistance for adult, youth, and child victims of sexual assault, family and household members of victims, and those collaterally affected by the sexual assault.
Funds provided through the SASP Formula Grant Program are designed to supplement other funding sources directed at addressing sexual assault on the State and Territorial level.
The SASP Grant is awarded to Delaware by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. The CJC distributes the State’s award through subgrants to eligible agencies. The CJC has established the VAWA Implementation Committee to assist Staff in the distribution of these funds.
For more information on the SASP Program in Delaware contact: Terica Jones (Terica.Jones@delaware.gov)
As defined in § 3132 (b) of Title 16 the Delaware State Code, “the fee charged for each certified copy of a marriage license/certificate shall be $25, except that upon production of a valid military identification card, active members of the military and their spouses shall be exempt from paying such fee. This fee shall be collected by the Bureau of Vital Statistics or the Clerk of the Peace, whichever agency issues the certified copy. Each Clerk of the Peace and the Bureau of Vital Statistics shall file a semi-annual report of the fees collected with the Department of Revenue and shall deposit $15 from each fee for a certified marriage license/certificate copy into the Domestic Violence Fund, to be administered by the Criminal Justice Council.”
And further defined in § 8704 (10) of Title 11, the CJC must “allocate funds resulting from the certified copy fees for marriage license/certificates, pursuant to § 3132(b) of Title 16. Moneys resulting from the copy fees shall constitute The Domestic Violence Fund.”
The intent of these funds is to increase and enhance the domestic violence services statewide. Priority consideration will be given to those programs detailing services statewide, or collaborations between agencies in all three counties to ensure services are equitably distributed and available to victims.
The CJC awards the DV Fund on a competitive basis, every three (3) years. Solicitations typically are posted in October of each cycle. Amounts made available are based on the total amount collected during the July 1st -June 30th period.
The CJC and DVCC utilize the VAWA Implementation Committee in assisting staff with the distribution of these funds.
For more information on the DV Fund Program contact: Terica Jones (Terica.Jones@delaware.gov)
The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) runs a web forum that links crime victim service providers to their colleagues from other states. OVC’s Web forum allows you to tap into a national network of people facing the same challenges and experiences that you are. It’s the perfect place for providers to gain peer insight and support related to best practices in victim services. Your colleagues can be great sources for solutions that can help the crime victims you serve. Now, with OVC, you can connect with victim service providers in other states without leaving your office by visiting the Directory of Crime Victim Services. Start making the connections that can change lives.
The Delaware Victims’ Rights Task Force maintains a local list of Delaware-specific providers who serve victims and survivors of crime. Visit the Local Victim Service Resources site to access statewide information and resources including but not limited to: emergency hotlines, advocacy services, legal services, mental health and counseling services, police/prosecution/correction-based victim services, culturally-specific programs, and other programs serving specific demographic groups of crime victims.
Related Topics: Delaware Criminal Justice Council, Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), support programs, Victims, Victims of Crime Act, VOCA-Victims Assistance
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