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New Grant Announced During
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
By Stephanie Beougher
October 8, 2013
More than
18,000 domestic
violence civil protection orders were filed in Ohio’s courts last
year, according to statistics compiled by the Ohio Supreme Court.
Today, the Supreme Court announced funding for a new project to
assist courts when it comes to dealing with parental rights in
domestic violence cases.
A $50,000
grant from the
Office on Violence Against Women at the U.S. Department of Justice
will be used in part to support the domestic violence track at the
Domestic Relations Summit in April 2014. The grant will also help
develop a court-specific tool to enhance judicial decision-making in
child custody and visitation matters in families with a history of
domestic violence.
Announcement
of the grant
comes at the start of Domestic Violence Awareness Month that has been
officially observed in October since Congress passed the first
commemorative legislation in 1989.
“Children’s
safety and
well-being is paramount in every decision made by judges and
magistrates, yet a delicate balance must be struck to ensure the
safety of non-abusive parents, fairly allocate parental rights and
responsibilities, and break the cycle of violence,” Supreme Court
Domestic Violence Program Manager Diana Ramos-Reardon said. “The
federal funding will enable us to collaborate with national and state
partners to develop resources for domestic relations courts to access
better information to make the best determination in these cases.”
Ramos-Reardon
added that
while the specifics of the court tool are being developed, judges,
magistrates, attorneys, and victim advocates will be key
collaborators in the process. A pilot program is expected in early
2015 before the tool becomes available to all domestic relations
courts.
The Ohio
Supreme Court
Domestic Violence Program assists courts and justice system partners
develop and strengthen effective responses to domestic violence and
related cases. Program staff monitors trends, disseminates
information, and recommends rules and standards supported by
promising policies and practices.
For more
from Court News
Ohio, click here
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