NEWS

Ontario is supporting victims of domestic violence by providing funding aimed at improving the coordination among the many agencies that serve them.

The government is providing $1.5 million to help the 42 Domestic Violence Community Coordinating Committees across Ontario.  These committees bring together all partners that serve abused women to improve local support systems for victims of domestic violence. The membership of these committees typically includes representatives from women’s service agencies (e.g., shelters, family services), the justice sector (e.g., police, Victim Witness Assistance Program, Crown attorneys), other social services such as child protection, and members from the health and education sectors.

The committees will receive $800,000 annually to help improve and better co-ordinate local services for victims of woman abuse.  This year they will also receive one-time funding of $700,000 for special projects to support coordination activities in the community, and for the Neighbours, Friends and Families public education campaigns that help raise awareness of the signs of woman abuse.

QUOTES

"Support for Domestic Violence Coordinating Committees means an improvement and increase in services for women who have been victims of abuse," said Attorney General Chris Bentley.  "This vital support helps victims of domestic violence build better lives for themselves and their children.”
 
“This additional funding will help communities implement innovative projects like the Neighbours, Friends and Families campaign,” said Minister Responsible for Women’s Issues, Deb Matthews. “A coordinated community response is essential to ending violence against women.”

“One of the most important pillars of our Domestic Violence Action Plan is the development of strong community supports to respond to the needs of women and their children who are victims of domestic violence. These committees will help to ensure that we use all community resources to our fullest advantage,” said Minister of Community and Social Services Madeleine Meilleur. 

“We must work together to end woman abuse in our community. This funding will support our collaborative efforts to promote awareness of woman abuse, improve coordination and access to service, and support our Neighbours, Friends, and Families campaign in the workplace,” said Bonnie Williams, Chair of the London Coordinating Committee to End Woman Abuse.
 

QUICK FACTS

• Ontario invests more than $190 million annually in services for victims of domestic violence, including a four-year $82 million Domestic Violence Action Plan that provides community-based supports, public education and training, better access to French-language services and strengthens Ontario's criminal and family justice systems.

• The Neighbours, Friends and Families public education campaign is part of the government’s Domestic Violence Action Plan, which places emphasis on prevention and better community supports for abused women and their children.
• The Centre for Research & Education of Violence against Women and Children promotes the development of community-centred, action research on violence against women and children.

LEARN MORE

Learn about the Victim/Witness Assistance Program, available in 16 languages.

Learn more about what the government is doing to prevent violence against women.

Learn how you can volunteer to help victims of crime in your community through Ontario Volunteer Centres.

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Contacts

Sheamus Murphy, Ministry of the Attorney General, Minister’s Office, (416) 326-1785
Brendan Crawley, Ministry of the Attorney General, Communications Branch, (416) 326-2210
Laura Dougan, Ontario Women's Directorate, Minister's Office, (416) 212-3394
Donna Piasentini, Ontario Women's Directorate, Communications Branch, (416) 314-7012

Backgrounder: Support And Services For Victims Of Domestic Violence