KANSAS, September 28 - TOPEKA – (September 28, 2022) – Nine Wichita-area organizations have been awarded more than $404,000 in grants to provide services for victims of crime, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced today.

The grants were awarded to support the following programs:

• CAC of Sedgwick County, $4,000 for operating expenditures for children’s advocacy centers.
• Catholic Charities, Inc., $38,000 to support staff in providing 24-hour shelter, support, safety and referrals for victims of domestic violence.
• ICT S.O.S., $57,480 to provide support, community services, and crisis intervention to human trafficking victims, as well as education within the community.
• Roots & Wings, Inc., dba CASA of Sedgwick County, $19,000 to provide training and support to Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers who will help child victims remain safe and free from further abuse and neglect, have their rights protected and have access to quality services.    
• StepStone, Inc., $21,611 to support a Community Outreach Liaison to build awareness about workplace domestic violence and offer support and resources for supervisors and managers.
• Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center, Inc., $11,000 to provide educational programming to children and youth in Sedgwick County regarding the prevention of sexual abuse, sexual assault and sexual harassment.
• Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center, Inc., $12,500 to provide support groups and assistance to sexual assault survivors.
• Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center, Inc., $67,099 to fund administrative support for direct and educational services for sexual violence survivors in Sedgwick County.
• Wichita Children’s Home, $31,277 to respond to the needs of child victims of human trafficking statewide through implementation of anti-trafficking initiatives.
• Wichita Family Crisis Center, $21,600 to implement comprehensive youth advocacy, increase awareness and increase protective factors related to domestic and dating violence.
• Wichita Family Crisis Center, $19,480 to provide shelter, education and advocacy for victims of human trafficking.
• Wichita Family Crisis Center, $50,808 to support ongoing operations of the domestic violence/sexual assault center.
• TFI Family Services, Inc. - Wichita Visitation and Exchange Center, $50,540 to provide safe and quality supervised visitation and exchange services for Wichita and surrounding communities.

“Organizations across Kansas do great work every day to support victims of crime,” Schmidt said. “We are proud to support these organizations through the victim services grant programs.”

The awards were made from the Human Trafficking Victims Assistance Fund, Protection from Abuse Fund, State Child Exchange and Visitation Centers Fund, State Crime Victims’ Assistance Fund, State Crime Victims’ Assistance Fund for Child Abuse and Neglect, and the Children’s Advocacy Centers Fund. The Human Trafficking Victim Assistance Fund is funded through fines, penalties, forfeitures and State General Fund appropriations. The Protection from Abuse Fund is funded by State General Fund appropriations, marriage license fees, county court costs and municipal court assessments. The State Child Exchange and Visitation Centers Fund is funded through marriage license fees and State General Fund appropriations. The State Crime Victims’ Assistance Fund is funded through the remittance of applicable fines, penalties and forfeitures from clerks of the district courts. The State Crime Victims’ Assistance Fund for Child Abuse and Neglect is funded through county court costs, municipal court assessments and State General Fund appropriations. The Children’s Advocacy Centers Fund is funded through the remittance of applicable fines, penalties and forfeitures from clerks of the district courts.

This year, the attorney general’s office awarded more than $2.5 million in grants to local and state crime victim assistance organizations. More information on the grant programs and the full list of award recipients is available on the attorney general’s website at www.ag.ks.gov.