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CAC director: federal VOCA funding losses forced state to backfill and threaten local centers' capacity
Summary
Rebecca Simmons told the commission CACs lost VOCA funds and that state appropriations and some TANF dollars filled gaps; she warned several centers would have closed without action and said sustainability is a study priority.
Rebecca Simmons said child advocacy centers in Virginia experienced steep federal funding losses tied to Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) allocations. "We for child advocacy centers stopped receiving that funding, a 100% last year," she told commissioners, adding that when VOCA support dropped the state legislature appropriated funds and some TANF money was used to prevent center closures.
Simmons said the loss threatened operations at multiple CACs and that without the legislative response "I think it was eight CACs that would have closed their doors completely." She told the commission the program will pursue a study of sustainability and long-term funding options as part of the commission's 2026 work plan.
Commissioners asked about the mix of federal, state and philanthropic support and how satellite models and workforce investments could expand access in underserved rural areas. Simmons said CACs are largely nonprofit-run and that capacity limits make it difficult to expand without a reliable funding stream.
