Federal Grants

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) oversees the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), which provides leadership and support for states and local communities to effectively deal with juvenile delinquency and victimization. A Grant Management Unit within the DOJ administers grants--with both application support and technical assistance--for OJJDP constituents to establish and manage child support centers, such as state child protective services and private nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting child abuse investigation and prosecution programs.

State Agencies

Grants for Child Advocacy Centers are available in every state. The OJJDP website includes a page with links to each state’s agency responsible for administering programs and grants related to Child Advocacy Centers. For example, in 2008, the state of Kansas awarded seventeen centers grants totaling $962,944 which were used to train the staff to work with children who were victims of physical and sexual abuse in a variety of areas, including forensic interview techniques and community awareness programs regarding child abuse issues.

Private Organizations

A number of private organizations exist that provide grants--or administer state and federal grant funds--to Child Advocacy Centers. One of the largest in the country, the National Children’s Alliance, was chosen by the Justice Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to administer $10,125,000 in federal funds in 2010 to support Child Advocacy Centers nationwide. As with all grants for Child Advocacy Centers, the objective is to develop and support child abuse investigation and prosecution programs from a variety of disciplines. The National Children’s Alliance is also a recognized accreditation organization for Child Advocacy Centers. A center that becomes accredited has an advantage in awarding of grants from the organization and other agencies.