The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency Issues Funding Announcements for Initial Round of NCAA/PSU Endowment Act Funds

HARRISBURG, Pa., June 17, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) released four separate competitive funding announcements today under the Endowment Act, or Act 1 of 2013, to aid the victims of child sexual abuse in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

"With this funding opportunity, children's advocacy centers, victim service providers, and the medical and mental health professionals who treat child victims of sexual abuse will be eligible for additional resources to assist them in their efforts," Chairman Josh Shapiro said.  "Today's funding announcements are the first of many aimed at protecting our most vulnerable citizens – our children."

Per the settlement agreement reached in January 2015, $48 million in monetary penalties imposed on the Pennsylvania State University (PSU) by the National Collegiate Athletic Conference (NCAA) are deposited into a separate account in the State Treasury.  PCCD is charged by the Endowment Act to distribute those funds for the benefit of the residents of Pennsylvania and for the specific purpose of assisting child sexual abuse victims.

PCCD relied on the expertise of the Children's Advocacy Center Advisory Committee (CACAC) to develop the initial funding announcements.  The CACAC, which is chaired by Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler, was statutorily created by Act 28 of 2014 to expand access to children's advocacy centers and increase their availability to serve child victims of sexual abuse and physical abuse.

The four solicitations today will provide grants for programs or projects assisting the victims of child sexual abuse; child advocacy centers; victim service organizations that provide services to children subjected to sexual abuse; and training of persons who treat victims of child sexual abuse.  Funding opportunities pertaining to other eligible categories under Act 1, such as prevention programs, multidisciplinary investigative teams, and training for mandated reporters, will be released at a later date.

"Our goal is to expend these funds wisely," Shapiro said. "Act 1 stipulates that we can only spend up to half of the funds over the next five years, and after that time, we may only utilize the interest and earnings for grants.  We want to ensure that we fund programs and projects that are sustainable in the long-run, and responsibly serve child victims in the years to come." 

The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency's mission is to enhance the quality and coordination of criminal and juvenile justice systems, to facilitate the delivery of services to victims of crime, and to increase the safety of our communities. For more information, visit www.pccd.state.pa.us or call 717-705-0888.

PCCD follows a rigorous process in awarding competitive grants. For more information on how grants are awarded, please visit here.

MEDIA CONTACT: Matthew Leonard, 717-695-1324

SOURCE Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency

Related Links

http://www.pccd.state.pa.us/