The UK Home Office has announced a new £8 million fund to support children and specifically to help transform the lives of victims of domestic abuse. This fund gives charities, local authorities and other organisations the chance to bid for money for projects designed to intervene early to help children who have been directly or indirectly affected by domestic abuse.
The NSPCC have championed greater support for children affected by domestic abuse. The charity’s Domestic Abuse, Recovering Together (DART) service supports mothers and children who have experienced domestic abuse, through group work and activities together.
Minister for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability, Victoria Atkins said, “It is heart-breaking to think that all too often children are unwittingly caught up in the effects of domestic abuse and for some, the mental scars of such early exposure will significantly impact on their lives. However, we can intervene early to give these young people a lifeline and organisations are already providing services, which this government will help support through the fund.”
Through the Violence Against Woman and Girls (VAWG) service transformation fund the Home Office has already funded programmes aimed at supporting children affected by domestic abuse.
The government will assess the applications before informing successful groups in the autumn. Applications will be open until 19 September.
