The Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services (OFVPS) leads Administration for Children and Families' comprehensive approach to domestic violence prevention and administers the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) to improve support for families and individuals experiencing violence and trauma. Each October, OFVPS recognizes Domestic Violence Awareness Month by standing in solidarity with survivors, their loved ones, advocates, and communities to mourn those who lives have been lost to domestic violence; to celebrate the accomplishments to end and prevent further violence; and to connect with others leading this movement to transform communities to be more inclusive and supportive of all individuals and families fleeing violence. 

FVPSA grant recipients are hosting engaging events throughout October 2023. A few highlights are listed below: 

• October 11, 2023: 24th Annual Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day (HCADV Day) is hosted by Futures without Violence, starting at 1:00 p.m. EST. Participants who attend this webinar will be able to better describe the role domestic violence programs can have in addressing the health needs of survivors, gain access to at least two tools their organization can utilize to formalize a partnership with a health provider/program, and identify at least one health policy opportunity to increase health access for survivors.
• October 13, 2023: Pregnant and Surviving: Maternal Health in the Black Community is hosted by the Ujima Inc., starting at 12:00 p.m. EST. This virtual conversation will focus on the intersections of domestic violence and birthing, as well as ways to better support Black pregnant survivors. 
• October 19, 2023: Purple Thursday National Domestic Violence Awareness Day is an all day event where you are invited to wear purple, be a voice, and start a conversation about domestic violence! Take a photo of yourself wearing purple and share it on social media for #PurpleThursday! Be sure to tag the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence #DCCADV. 
• October 19, 2023: Supporting Survivors at the Intersections of Mental Health and Substance Use is hosted by the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Mental Health. This webinar will start at 3:00 p.m. EST and will share new and forthcoming tools to support survivors, advocates, behavioral health providers, and organizations. 
• October 25, 2023: Understanding the Dynamics and Tactics of Intimate Partner Violence through the Lens of Indigenous Survivors is hosted by the National Indigenous Women's Resource Center, starting at 9:00 a.m. EST. This webinar will provide an overview of root causes by domestic violence in Indigenous communities as well as highlight the importance of traditional, cultural practices in strengthening and building the capacity to provide effective, respectful advocacy. 

OFVPS invites you to strengthen community-based partnerships and support meaningful action for individuals, youth, and families in your communities. Nationally, there are many opportunities for you to support and stand in partnership with survivors. Please help OFVPS raise awareness about these events by sharing the OFVPS 2023 DVAM Calendar of Events, which includes the above events and many more. 

Want to learn more? This domestic violence 101 course was developed by FVPSA grant recipients - the Battered Women's Justice Project, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence.

How can you help? FVPSA-funded helplines and hotlines have increased their texting and online services to better provide counseling and advocacy by phone, text, or online chat. Discussing domestic violence is never easy which is why the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and StrongHearts Native Helpline are available for anyone who needs support. Should you or someone you know need help talking about domestic violence or abuse, please reach out to a hotline or helpline for support. There are caring advocates standing by to discuss safety options and supportive services available in your community.

Your leadership and continued support will make a huge difference for those striving for meaningful social change for millions of survivors in their communities! Thank you! 

The U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau protects the interests of working women, advocates for their equality and economic security, and promotes quality work environments. In recognition of National Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, the Women’s Bureau is hosting a virtual conversation on October 17, 2023, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET about domestic violence (DV) awareness and how it relates to the principles of gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH). Participants will learn innovative ways employers can approach their response to DV and GVBH in the workplace.

A benefits cliff may occur when an increase in income (e.g., from working more hours, getting a raise, or taking a new position) pushes a worker above the income eligibility limit for one or more public assistance programs, and the loss of assistance is greater than the value of the increase. This forces people to choose between their family’s immediate financial best interest and their own longer-term wage growth and career advancement. The Federal Reserve is hosting a Connecting Communities webinar on October 12, 2023 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET to explore this economic challenge. Participants will learn about tools developed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta to identify and inform mitigation strategies, as well as innovation pilots including Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington D.C. that can inform state and community leaders working to develop solutions to the benefits cliff.

This Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration brief presents self-reports of recovery among adults aged 18 and older in the United States who thought they ever had a problem with their use of drugs or alcohol and/or mental health. Recovery for substance use or mental health problems differed by age, family income, education, marital status, and importance of religious beliefs. Adults who participated in at least one government assistance program, had a lower level of education, or had a lower family income relative to the federal poverty level tended to have a higher prevalence of substance use recovery, but a lower prevalence of mental health recovery. Some policy recommendations that SAMHSA identifies as supporting recovery include supportive employment programs and financial counseling and education as well as family support services.

Many effective services promote healthy development in early childhood and support families’ well-being that are located across sectors. These include high-quality childcare and early education (CCEE), and support for other family health, educational, and financial needs. It can be challenging for families to benefit from all these services because they all function separately, typically in different locations and with differing eligibility, enrollment, and service provision requirements. Potential roadblocks can exacerbate disparities because they affect marginalized families the most. This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation study provided an in-depth look at different approaches to coordinating CCEE with other health and human services.

The Domestic Violence (DV) and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) webpage on the PeerTA website identifies information and resources that are targeted to supporting survivors of domestic violence and intimate partner violence. This webpage includes:

• A statement of the Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF) Commitment to Supporting Families Struggling with DV/IPV.
• Information on the importance of Training Partnerships, which are critical to helping human services staff provide support to victims of sexual harassment or survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking and to their children when accessing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs.
• Resources Available for TANF agency staff to help them make every effort to assist families and children who are experiencing sexual harassment, domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, including:
  • OFA-sponsored technical assistance;
  • Contact information for Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) state and territory administrators and coalitions;
  • Links to FVPSA DV Training and Technical Assistance national and culturally specific resource centers; and
  • A listing of ACF Safe Access for Victims’ Economic Security (SAVES) demonstration grants designed to develop, evaluate, and implement best practices to provide safe access to child support and parenting time services.
• The Office of Family Violence and Prevention Services (OFVPS)’ contact information for inquiries related to FVPSA DV resources or resource centers, as well as directions for making TANF Policy Inquiries.

In October 2023, the Office of Child Care (OCC) invited public comment on the rules and regulations of the Tribally administered Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program as part of the Administration for Children and Families' commitment to creating partnerships with Tribal Nations to identify and implement solutions that transcend traditional program boundaries. This Request for Information (RFI) specifically sought public comment on the following topics of the Tribal childcare program: CCDF Funding Policies for Tribes, CCDF Administration, Improving Families' Access to Child Care, and Increasing Child Care Supply in Tribal Communities—but input on any aspect of the Tribally administered CCDF program was encouraged. The OCC hosted a virtual listening session on October 25, 2023 to gather feedback from families and providers on the RFI topics. A copy of the RFI and related resources are available on their website.

Registration for this event is closed.

Finding and maintaining quality childcare is a challenge for many parents, and those living in low-income households often face even more obstacles. The Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin at Madison will host a virtual session on October 4, 2023 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET to introduce and discuss the current landscape of early care and education (ECE) as it pertains to low-income families. The panel will focus on policies and practices that offer support to low-income parents, an assessment of the current childcare subsidy program, and potential future measures could help to ensure access to affordable, high-quality ECE for all.

In recent years, policymakers and researchers have questioned the fairness and effectiveness of pursuing civil contempt to secure child support payments, particularly for parents with low incomes. Civil contempt proceedings are costly, burdensome, and often counterproductive to the goals of the child support program. They can impede employment, increase child support debt, alienate noncustodial parents from their children, and decrease parents’ future cooperation. Developed by the Office of Child Support Services, the Procedural Justice-Informed Alternatives to Contempt (PJAC) demonstration assessed a different approach to improving child support payments. PJAC services aimed to address noncustodial parents’ reasons for nonpayment, promote positive engagement with the child support program and the other parent, and improve the consistency and completeness of their payments. This MDRC report compares the benefits and costs of PJAC services with those of business-as-usual child support enforcement.

The federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), administered through individual states, subsidizes access to affordable early care and education for families with low incomes. CCDF subsidies can support parents’ ability to work and positively impact their children’s early development. Many Latino families tend to have high rates of parental employment but low levels of income. Latino families are underserved by the CCDF program in most states and could stand to benefit from these subsidies. This National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families brief is a part of a series focused on Latino families’ access to social assistance. This resource aims to improve understanding on families’ access to subsidies in California, including barriers and facilitators.