Justice for Families Program Funds Supervised Visitation, Court Programs, and Legal Services for Families Affected by Violence

The Office on Violence Against Women offers up to $800,000 over 36 to 48 months to governments, courts, nonprofits, and victim service providers that improve how the civil and criminal justice system responds to families where domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking is present, including cases involving child sexual abuse. Applications must be submitted in Grants.gov by July 16, 2026, with the full application due in JustGrants by July 21, 2026. Projects must address either supervised visitation and safe exchange of children, court-based programming to improve judicial responses, or both. OVW gives priority consideration to projects serving small towns, rural communities, and tribal communities.

Assistance Listing Number: 16.021
Opportunity Identification Number: O-OVW-2026-172608
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women
Application Deadline: July 16, 2026

Eligible Institutional Structures and Geographic Priorities

Eligible applicants include state governments, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, units of local government, courts including juvenile courts, nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, legal services providers, and victim service providers. Faith-based organizations meeting the eligibility requirements may apply. All applicants must formally partner with both a nonprofit or tribal domestic violence or sexual assault victim service provider and a court. These mandatory partnerships must be documented in a signed memorandum of understanding; courts and tribal governments may submit letters of commitment in place of MOUs.

OVW gives priority consideration to projects primarily serving small towns, rural communities, and tribal communities, and to projects addressing human trafficking and transnational crime in communities where survivors have also experienced VAWA crimes.

Financial Mechanics and Match Requirements

Standard awards are $650,000 for 36 months beginning October 1, 2026. New applicants proposing supervised visitation or safe exchange services that need to develop required security measures may request up to $800,000 for 48 months. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement. The budget must include a minimum of $15,000 on the travel line for OVW training and technical assistance, which is higher than most OVW programs.

Administrative Compliance and Post Award Oversight

Awards operate under 2 CFR Part 200 and the DOJ Grants Financial Guide. All applicants must certify that organizational policies do not require mediation or counseling in cases where DV is alleged, which is a fundamental program eligibility condition. Supervised visitation applicants must certify that specified security measures are or will be in place. Court-based program applicants must certify that victims are not charged fees related to DV matters and that custody evaluators and guardians ad litem will complete specified training. A Confidentiality Notice Form is required. The certification regarding out-of-scope activities is required and is subject to ongoing federal litigation.

Performance is tracked through OVW's VAWA Measuring Effectiveness Initiative. Funded organizations must report on the number of families served, victim safety measures implemented, court coordination activities, and outcomes for program participants. Organizations proposing to provide legal assistance must include a plan for supervising and mentoring grant-funded attorneys.