Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Family Advocacy Center topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Family Advocacy Center reports tens of thousands of services in 2024; VOCA funding flagged as uncertain
Summary
City Human Services officials told the subcommittee April 2 that the Family Advocacy Center provided thousands of forensic interviews, therapy sessions and victim services in 2024 and that federal VOCA grant funding is uncertain.
Human Services Director Jacqueline Edwards and Assistant Director Tracy Hall told the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee April 2 that the City of Phoenix Family Advocacy Center (FAC) provided thousands of forensic and victim services in 2024, and officials warned that a key federal grant faces funding uncertainty.
Edwards said the FAC, located at 2120 North Central Avenue, is operated by the Human Services Department’s victim services division and co-locates partner organizations including the Phoenix Police Department’s Family Investigations Bureau, Childhelp, HonorHealth and Phoenix Children’s Hospital. She said the Arizona Department of Child Safety and local nonprofit partners provide investigation, therapy and long-term services at the FAC.
Tracy Hall presented service data: Childhelp served more than 4,000 unduplicated clients in 2024, conducted more than 2,000 forensic interviews, delivered over 3,000 therapy sessions and performed more than 700 medical examinations. The victim services division reported serving just over 3,000 individuals in 2024 and providing more than 15,000 separate services including safety planning and assistance with protective orders.
Hall said the victim services division’s budget is about $3.2 million, funded from a mix of general fund and grants; about eight full-time equivalents are funded through the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant, which expires in September 2025. Officials told the subcommittee that VOCA funding nationally has decreased in recent years and remains uncertain, and the department is pursuing other grant and philanthropic opportunities while piloting limited one-time funding to expand therapeutic services.
The FAC provides services to people of all ages: children 17 and younger are served primarily through Childhelp and co-located child-focused units, while adults 18 and older are served by the victim services division in collaboration with the Phoenix Police Department. Staff also noted mobile victim advocates outstationed to family service centers and the Phoenix Municipal Court and reported over 3,800 referrals to victim services in 2024, with Phoenix Police accounting for the majority (3,424) of those referrals.
Subcommittee members asked clarifying questions about population counts and funding; Vice Mayor O’Brien and others thanked the presenters for the data and urged continued work to diversify revenue and prepare for potential VOCA shortfalls.
