North Carolina nonprofits that serve victims of domestic violence and child abuse are facing funding cuts.
For decades, the federal Crime Victims Fund has provided grants to domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers and children's advocacy centers. But North Carolina's share has dropped from $100 million in 2018 to just $40 million this year and $25 million last year.
Caroline Farmer leads the Governor's Crime Commission, which administers the grants. She told a legislative oversight committee that the agency has used other funding to maintain grant levels until now, but last week it notified nonprofits that their grants will be cut by an average of 20%. A facility in Hoke County serving victims of sexual assault and domestic violence will see its grant drop from $83,000 to $66,000, for example.
"These are pretty significant drops for these people and these services," she said, adding that the grant money has been "paying for crisis counselors, victim advocates, resource coordinators, cell phones, utilities, rent, mental health advocacy and so forth."
Farmer says her agency is looking at options to fund the services in the future.
"The Governor’s Crime Commission cares deeply about the work that victim service providers do in communities across our state," she said in an emailed statement Friday. "We will continue to explore solutions that ensure victims of crime in North Carolina have access to critical services."
The cuts will affect 54 child abuse centers and 84 domestic violence shelters or rape crisis centers across the state. The reduction in federal funds stems from reduced revenue for the Crime Victims Fund, which is financed by criminal fines, fees and penalties.
