Domestic Violence Program Catastrophe--States, Feds Slash Program Funding [Picture]

Indiana Domestic violence shelters are in crisis mode after Gov. Pense slashed funding 75 perent  The shelters are already running on hope and a prayer, with volunteer staff  managing programs around the state. There is no ‘fat’ to cut. Any cuts, partcularly a large one like this, will devastate domestic volence shelters and programs cross the state.

This is part of a nationwide slash and burn budget-cutting measure, which is forcing women’s domestic violence shelters to slash programs, cut essential services and abandon vulnerable, abused, beaten and terrified women.  These are  women with few resources. They often can’t afford to get to vital appointments with attorneys, counselers and other service providers.

As the United States spends vital treasure on war, supporting housing services and food/shelter for war victims in distant, foreign lands, many women in this country are facing wars of their own: domestic violence, draconian budget cuts to shelters and severely reduced service programs.

There is a war being waged against women in this country, and it is a war we do not want to talk about.  We would rather allow ourselves–attention and funding– to be diverted by foreign catastrophes, rather than focus attention on and provide funding for domestc violence situations.

The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) recently released its yearly one-day census of most of the country’s nearly 2,000 domestic violence programs and shelters. Many have cut back on key services and have run out of enough beds to accommodate the massive number of people who need them.  

*To read more from the recent National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) yearly one-day census of most of this country’s nearly 2,000 domestic violence programs and shelters, click here.

Sources say the dwindling funds for services keep residents in shelters longer: They stay for months instead of weeks, Program Managers say

They also end up having a harder time exiting the shelter when housing and job training supports have dried up. “Instead of coming in and staying in a shelter for 30 days, we might have people stay for three months, four months,” she noted. “Which then makes it more difficult to serve more people.”