Family & Children’s Trust Fund Invests in Trauma Informed Care Across Virginia
FACT awards over $300,000 in grants to local Virginia organizations committed to trauma-informed care
April 27, 2018
Family & Children’s Trust Fund (FACT) is pleased to announce $316,712 in grants to ten organizations. These grants represent FACT’s commitment to support direct service and system-wide trauma-informed care approaches across the Commonwealth.
In their landmark ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Study, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that exposure to ACE’s, including traumatic events such as child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, and substance abuse in the household, can lead to lifelong mental, physical, and social health issues. Based on those findings, experts have cited childhood trauma as one of the most critical public health concerns today. More than 60 percent of children in the U.S. have been exposed to a traumatic event within the year and in Virginia, 19% of children have experienced two or more ACEs. The magnitude of this issue necessitates infusing trauma-informed practices into all human services programs that address issues affecting individuals and families across the lifespan.
FACT funds system-wide trauma informed networks and also requires all funded direct service programs to have trauma informed components. As an established state-wide philanthropic entity, FACT has focused on promoting and supporting trauma-informed practices throughout Virginia for several years. Incidentally, FACT is the only organization in Virginia, and one of few nationally, that addresses trauma across the lifespan.
Congratulations to the following FACT Grant Awardees as they address trauma and family violence in Virginia: NRV Cares, Center for Child & Family Services, OAR Fairfax County, Children’s Trust of Roanoke Valley, Childsafe Center CAC, VCU Health System, James Madison University, Sexual Assault Resource Center, SCAN Greater Richmond, and Shelter for Help in Emergency.
About FACT: The Family and Children’s Trust Fund (FACT) was created by the General Assembly in 1986 as a public-private partnership to raise funds for the prevention and treatment of family violence, including child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse and neglect. The Virginia Department of Social Services supports FACT’s administrative costs, allowing 100% of FACT funds to directly support programs which work to prevent and treat family violence. FACT is governed by a Board of Trustees, appointed by the Governor, to raise and distribute funds for family violence prevention and treatment efforts, as well as to promote public awareness of family violence issues across the Commonwealth.
