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DCFS Announces Domestic Violence Funding

Project Celebration will expant to provide services in Shreveport, Natchitoches areas

June 17, 2014

BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) will fund 16 domestic violence service providers across the state, including one provider that is expanding to Shreveport and Natchitoches.

Total funding for all domestic violence service providers is $6.169 million, an increase over last year. Funding for providers takes into account the size of the population served, square miles covered and the previous year's funding amounts.

"We are proud to announce these increases to further combat domestic violence in Louisiana," said DCFS Secretary Suzy Sonnier. "No provider will see a decrease in funding. During the most recent legislative session, we coordinated with providers, the administration and the Legislature to ensure that funding was maintained and to continue efforts to assist victims of domestic violence through the passage of key legislation."

Beginning July 1, Taylor House/Project Celebration, which currently serves Many, will expand to Shreveport and Natchitoches, replacing Providence House in Shreveport and Domestic Violence Education & Support (DOVES) in Natchitoches.

"We have worked closely with the Shreveport Mayor's Office and community stakeholders to ensure a continuity of services in the Shreveport area following Providence House's announcement that it would not provide domestic violence services after June 30," said Sonnier. "The Shreveport community is highly committed to a seamless transition of services and I am confident the new provider will have strong support."

In order to determine funding amounts, DCFS began with prior year allocations and then considered the size of the population and the number of square miles each program serves. All providers saw at least a small increase in funding for Fiscal Year 2014-2015. Funding directly to the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence helps provide technical assistance to providers and partially funds the Domestic Violence hotline.

 

 

*Taylor House's FY2013-2014 allocation only includes its services in Many. The organization is expanding to provide services in Shreveport and Natchitoches in FY2014-2015.