The Friends of Yates was one of five area organizations that were awarded funding recently from the attorney general’s office to provide services for crime victims.
Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said more than $260,000 was awarded to the five organizations.
The grants included:
• Friends of Yates, Kansas City, Kan., $40,000 to enhance management of shelter and outreach services to victims fleeing and living in abusive situations and to provide training and presentations to community service agencies, professionals, service providers, faith-based institutions and the community at large on the dynamics of domestic violence and teen dating violence.
• Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault, Kansas City, Mo., $16,555 to expand services to victims of sexual violence by engaging in Spanish Crisis Line services as well as text-based victim services.
• Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault, $44,188 to provide fiscal and programmatic leadership, representation, and services.
• Tenth Judicial District Court Services, Olathe, $22,500 to provide supervised court-ordered exchanges and visitation for families through the Family Court of the 10th Judicial District.
• SAFEHOME, Inc., Overland Park, $25,000 to provide support, information, and advocacy to help victims of domestic violence understand their legal options and the court system.
• SAFEHOME, Inc., $71,016 to provide victims of domestic violence and their children with shelter, emergency assistance, case management, and community referrals to help them achieve independence free from violence and abusive partners.
• Sunflower House, Inc., Shawnee, $19,100 to provide age-appropriate personal safety presentations to further support the education of children and adults to recognize, resist and report abusive behaviors. Additionally, Sunflower House will target parents with preventative information with a newly developed presentation.
• Sunflower House, Inc., $25,000 to support the Family Advocate II position within the Child Assessment Program, as well as benefits, training, and supplies. The Family Advocate II meets with the non-offending caregivers during and after the child’s visit to provide resources and ongoing support.
The awards were made from the Protection from Abuse Fund, State Child Exchange and Visitation Centers Fund, State Crime Victims’ Assistance Fund and State Crime Victims’ Assistance Fund for Child Abuse and Neglect. The Protection from Abuse Fund is funded by State General Fund appropriations, marriage license fees, county court costs and municipal court assessments. The State Child Exchange and Visitation Centers is funded through marriage license fees and State General Fund appropriations. The State Crime Victims’ Assistance Fund is funded though the remittance of applicable fines, penalties and forfeitures from clerks of the district courts. The State Crime Victims’ Assistance Fund for Child Abuse and Neglect is funded through county court costs, municipal court assessments and State General Fund appropriations.
This year, the attorney general’s office awarded nearly $2.2 million in grants to local and state crime victim assistance organizations. More information on the grant programs and the full list of award recipients is available on the attorney general’s website at www.ag.ks.gov.