Resources for Supporting Child Victims & Witnesses Available

Passing along this message from the Center for Justice Innovation (https://www.innovatingjustice.org/) regarding an opportunity to receive a useful resource for supporting child victims and witnesses:

"The Child Victims and Witnesses Support Materials (https://ovc.ojp.gov/child-victims-and-witnesses-support), available on the Office for Victims of Crime’s website for free download, intend to support child victims and witnesses as they interact with the justice system. Organizations can now apply to print and disseminate hard copies of these materials.

The materials, which were created by the Center for Justice Innovation, use illustrated narratives featuring child and adolescent characters that explain how the criminal legal and child welfare systems work in a developmentally appropriate way. The materials normalize and validate children's feelings and experiences, teach healthy coping and resilience building skills, explain the various processes and roles of the many criminal legal and child welfare system practitioners with whom the children will interact, provide tips for testifying, and inform children of their rights as a crime victim and/or witness.

Booklets are available for different age groups (ages 2 to 6, 7 to 12, and 13 to 18), and for different environments: child welfare, criminal court, human trafficking cases, and Native communities. The booklets are available in several languages including Spanish, Chinese (simplified), Arabic, Vietnamese, and Haitian Creole. The specialized materials for survivors of human trafficking are also available in Spanish, Chinese (simplified), Vietnamese, Brazilian Portuguese, and African French.

NOW AVAILABLE:

To further assist national distribution and use of these materials, OVC has provided additional funds for agencies to apply for printed materials up to $10,000 worth. The Center has subcontracted with a printing agency to print and ship the materials to selected applicants.

●      Applications for this printing opportunity will be accepted from agencies that work directly with child victims and witnesses.
●      Priority will be given to agencies that are either based in rural areas or Tribal lands, or who work directly with child victims and witnesses in rural or Native American communities, and who demonstrate a clear need for this printing opportunity.

For more information visit https://www.innovatingjustice.org/child-witness-support

This second round of applications closes January 31, 2025. Future application rounds are available with the next one scheduled for late Spring/early Summer 2025."

Sincerely,
The Family-Centered Justice at NCSC Team
https://ncsc.org/fcj