The State Children and Families Commission (First Five California/Prop 10) has provided a three-year grant to the Attorney General's Crime and Violence Prevention Center for the "Safe from the Start: Reducing Children's Exposure to Violence" initiative. We have an interest in knowing the types of programs County Prop 10 Commissions fund related to domestic violence and children exposed to violence. Information was recently gathered (January 2003) from a variety of sources, including Web site research, written information submitted by county commission executive directors, and telephone contact with local commission staff.

The primary programs funded by county commissions include: early literacy/library programs, parent education, nutrition education, child care education, preschool programs and enhancements, health-based programs such as vision, hearing, dental, immunization care, substance abuse education, and smoking cessation programs.

Additionally, we found that 36% of local commissions fund home visitation programs, 34% fund family resource centers/family support collaboratives, 29% fund services for pregnant teens or young parents, 19% fund programs for the homeless and 12% fund court-appointed special advocate programs. Counties also fund programs for foster care, crisis nurseries, and migrant education/culturally diverse communities.

Over 20% of county children and families commissions fund programs directly related to domestic violence and children exposed to violence. Examples of these programs include: the provision of a variety of services for children in domestic violence shelters, funding for probation officers to work exclusively with domestic violence perpetrators who have children, mental health services for children exposed to domestic violence, education on the prevention of domestic violence and the impact of exposure to violence on children, and outreach services with courts, law enforcement, probation, daycare facilities, and medical clinics to both identify and respond to children living in families with a history of domestic violence.

Check with your local commission for more information on funding priorities and cycles in your county. If you would like more information on our survey, send us an email at sfts@doj.ca.gov