June 17, 2015
The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and
Delinquency Issues Funding Announcements for Initial Round of NCAA/PSU
Endowment Act Funds
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Commission on
Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) released four separate competitive funding
announcements today under the Endowment Act, or Act 1 of 2013, to aid the
victims of child sexual abuse in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
“With this funding
opportunity, children’s advocacy centers, victim service providers, and the
medical and mental health professionals who treat child victims of sexual abuse
will be eligible for additional resources to assist them in their efforts,”
Chairman Josh Shapiro said. “Today’s funding announcements are the first
of many aimed at protecting our most vulnerable citizens – our children.”
Per the settlement
agreement reached in January 2015, $48 million in monetary penalties imposed on
the Pennsylvania State University (PSU) by the National Collegiate Athletic
Conference (NCAA) are deposited into a separate account in the State
Treasury. PCCD is charged by the Endowment Act to distribute those funds
for the benefit of the residents of Pennsylvania and for the specific purpose
of assisting child sexual abuse victims.
PCCD relied on the
expertise of the Children’s Advocacy Center Advisory Committee (CACAC) to
develop the initial funding announcements. The CACAC, which is chaired by
Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler, was statutorily created by Act 28
of 2014 to expand access to children’s advocacy centers and increase their
availability to serve child victims of sexual abuse and physical abuse.
The four solicitations
today will provide grants for programs or projects assisting the victims of
child sexual abuse; child advocacy centers; victim service organizations that
provide services to children subjected to sexual abuse; and training of persons
who treat victims of child sexual abuse. Funding opportunities pertaining
to other eligible categories under Act 1, such as prevention programs,
multidisciplinary investigative teams, and training for mandated reporters,
will be released at a later date.
“Our goal is to expend
these funds wisely,” Shapiro said. “Act 1 stipulates that we can only spend up
to half of the funds over the next five years, and after that time, we may only
utilize the interest and earnings for grants. We want to ensure that we
fund programs and projects that are sustainable in the long-run, and
responsibly serve child victims in the years to come.”
The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s mission is
to enhance the quality and coordination of criminal and juvenile justice
systems, to facilitate the delivery of services to victims of crime, and to
increase the safety of our communities. For more information, visit www.pccd.state.pa.us or call 717-705-0888.
PCCD follows a rigorous process in awarding competitive grants.
For more information on how grants are awarded, please visit here.
MEDIA CONTACT: Matthew Leonard, 717-695-1324
# # #