OVW FY 2019 Justice for Families Program Solicitation | OVW 2019 15529

Opportunity Information: Apply for OVW 2019 15529

The OVW FY 2019 Justice for Families Program Solicitation is a discretionary federal grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), designed to strengthen how civil and criminal justice systems respond to families affected by serious forms of interpersonal violence. Authorized under the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA) of 2013, the program focuses on situations involving sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, as well as cases that include allegations of child sexual abuse. The central aim is to improve both court practices and community-linked responses so that families navigating the justice system receive safer, more informed, and more coordinated support.

A key theme of this solicitation is building the capacity of courts and court-connected services to handle these cases in ways that prioritize safety, accountability, and child well-being. Funded work can include court-based and court-related programs that improve case handling when family violence is present, along with structured services that address high-risk contact between parents. The solicitation specifically highlights supervised visitation and safe exchange services, which are intended to allow parent-child contact or custody transitions to occur with safeguards in place when there are concerns about violence, coercion, or abuse. It also emphasizes training for professionals who work with families in the court system, recognizing that judges, court staff, custody evaluators, guardians ad litem, mediators, supervised visitation personnel, and related partners need specialized knowledge to respond appropriately to trauma, risk factors, and victim safety concerns. In addition, the program supports civil legal services for affected families and encourages the provision of resources in juvenile court matters, reflecting the reality that many families face overlapping legal issues across family, civil protection, and juvenile court settings.

The opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number OVW 2019 15529 and is tied to CFDA number 16.021. It was posted on November 6, 2018, with an original closing date of January 8, 2019. OVW anticipated making around 20 awards under this solicitation, with an award ceiling of $650,000 per grant. As a discretionary grant, awards are competitive and typically based on how well an applicant proposes to meet program goals, demonstrate readiness and partnerships, and implement activities that align with OVW priorities and statutory intent.

Eligible applicants include a broad range of government and nonprofit entities: state governments, county governments, and city or township governments; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; and nonprofits with IRS 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). The solicitation also notes that additional entities may be eligible under an "Others" category, indicating that eligibility can extend beyond the main list depending on the specific clarification provided in the full announcement.

Overall, the Justice for Families Program is aimed at improving real-world outcomes for families impacted by violence who are interacting with courts and justice-related systems. By funding court-centered improvements, supervised visitation and safe exchange services, targeted training, civil legal assistance, and juvenile court resources, the program seeks to reduce harm, increase safety planning and informed decision-making, and make justice system responses more consistent and effective in cases involving domestic and sexual violence and child sexual abuse allegations.

• The Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women in the law, justice and legal services, other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "OVW FY 2019 Justice for Families Program Solicitation" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.021.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 06, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 08, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $650,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for OVW 2019 15529

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