YWCA Clark County staffers advised U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., on Thursday they concern federal funding cuts will curtail companies they supply to survivors of home violence.
Final week, all grant funding from the Division of Justice’s Workplace on Violence In opposition to Ladies was unexpectedly terminated. YWCA Clark County, a nonprofit, deliberate to pursue 5 of these grants.
“We have started to notice a really alarming pattern,” mentioned Vanessa Yarie, YWCA Clark County’s chief working officer.
Home violence organizations throughout Washington, together with YWCA Clark County, have already been battling funding. Within the subsequent fiscal 12 months, Washington anticipates a 51.5 p.c discount in funds from the Victims of Crime Act, which directs cash from prison fines to home violence packages.
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Attain YWCA Clark County at 360-696-0167. YWCA Clark County’s 24 Hour Home Violence Hotline is 360-695-0501.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen,” Yarie mentioned.
An absence of federal funding goes to have a direct impact on home violence prevention efforts in Washington, Yarie mentioned.
“We’re going to start to see children who have experienced … things like sexual violence and domestic violence because we weren’t able to provide the same level of community prevention,” she mentioned.
YWCA staffers mentioned they’re additionally involved about potential cuts to Medicaid, which many survivors depend on. Survivors could possibly be turned away from hospitals, mentioned Beth Landry, vp of home violence packages.
“We’ve had several survivors over the last year come into our shelter with such grave injuries from domestic violence that they were unable to complete their (activities of daily living),” Landry mentioned.
Consequently, YWCA is banking on earmarked funding via Murray. YWCA wants to exchange its 1990 constructing and hopes to construct three flooring of inexpensive housing on high of a brand new workplace. The group additionally hopes to create a prevention program targeted on male athletes in excessive colleges and obtain funding for attorneys to help youngsters below the age of 12 who’ve been sexually assaulted.
Murray mentioned she’ll do every little thing she will to assist.
“Unfortunately, Trump’s unprecedented funding freezes and lack of communication with partners on the ground has created real chaos and uncertainty for places like the YWCA, who do really important work helping some of the most vulnerable in our communities — and have now been left without guidance on whether and when critical grant programs they rely on will open at all,” Murray mentioned in an announcement.
Final session, Murray secured $475,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending for the YWCA’s preschool program, which serves youngsters who’ve skilled trauma, together with abuse, neglect and homelessness. The varsity opened final September.
A number of the youngsters have behavioral points, mentioned YWCA Clark County CEO Brittini Lasseigne, and have struggled to discover a faculty.
“Kiddos were being expelled from preschool … and there wasn’t a place for them to go,” Lasseigne mentioned.
The kids greeted Murray with a big thanks signal on Thursday and, between popsicle licks, shouted, “Bye, Patty Murray!” because the senator left.
