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Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced in Parkersburg Thursday that he has awarded $16,327,849 in West Virginia Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants to 83 projects across the state.
A full list of the projects receiving funding can be found on the governor’s website.
VOCA funds provide direct services like counseling, personal advocacy, court advocacy, client transportation, and support services to victims of crimes including domestic violence, sexual violence and child abuse.
The governor says the funding is a compliment to increased penalties for parents, guardians and custodians who are found guilty of child abuse the state legislature passed earlier this year in House Bill 2123.
“I made it clear that if you’re going to harm a child as a parent or as a guardian, you’re going to pay a heavy price,” Morrisey said. “We made it clear that in West Virginia, we’re going to look after our kids, we’re going to look after vulnerable populations, and we’re going to hold abusers accountable.”
Morrisey said he is a big believer that no victim stands alone in the criminal justice system.
“We know that these funds are going to strengthen that network of support that’s so important that people rely on during their darkest moments,” Morrisey said. “It’s going to help kids find safety and stability, and we always have to be looking out for the kids here in West Virginia. I’m a big believer in that.”
The funds are from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime and will also support assistance to victims as they move through the criminal justice system.
Morrisey briefly discussed improvements being made to the state’s Child Protective Services (CPS). A federal report released last week found that West Virginia’s management of child abuse and neglect cases shows the state’s response is not in line with federal requirements.
“We’ve actually been filling a number of the vacancies for CPS, and we’ve brought new transparency to the system, new systems with respect to referrals,” he said. “You’re going to continue to see, probably in the upcoming weeks, more announcements and updates of the importance of getting our CPS system to continually improve.”