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*** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ***
STATE FUNDING FOR VICTIM SERVICES AT RISK
Amid the whiplash and ambiguity surrounding federal funding commitments, uncertainty at the state level is raising concerns about the possibility of drastic cuts to victim services in Oregon. Impacted services would include emergency shelter, housing stabilization, crisis lines, and other forms of crisis intervention that create safety for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, child abuse, elder abuse, human trafficking, and stalking.
Community based programs including Clackamas Women’s Services (CWS), the Family Justice Center of Washington County, Raphael House of Portland, Safety Compass, CARES Northwest, the Sexual Assault Resource Center, and the Domestic Violence Resource Center are urgently working with other providers around the state to ensure survivor services continue without interruption.
Three legislative bills, Oregon Department of Justice’s POP #327, HB 3196, and HB 3070, are currently before lawmakers that could make or break services for domestic and sexual violence survivors at a time when need across the state is increasing. In 2024, service providers saw an average increase of 30-50% in services to meet an increase in need.
“It’s important to understand that these bills are not an increase in funding for crime victim services. They only maintain services at current levels,” said Melissa Erlbaum, executive director of CWS. “These funds provide critical safety net services and support programs that maintain safety in our communities.”
CWS, located in Clackamas County, saw an increase of 43% in advocacy services, 31% increase in crisis line calls, and 25% increase in the number of survivors served in 2024 from 2023. “We cannot afford a decrease in funding at this critical time of need,” added Erlbaum.
Children’s Advocacy Centers’ (CACs) services are also at risk. They provide medical exams by expert medical providers who can recognize and treat child abuse, fact-finding interviews by specially trained interviewers, family support services, and trauma therapy to help children and their families move forward. For CACs, a loss of funding would place increased burdens on already stretched resources, resulting in reduced staffing, increased wait times, fewer children and adults receiving care, and delays in investigations, making it harder to hold offenders accountable.
“Consider what it’s like to tell a terrified parent that their child will need to wait weeks for a child abuse evaluation appointment, or months to start counseling to begin to heal,” stated Jenny Gilmore-Robinson, executive director of CARES Northwest. “This is the nightmare scenario that drives us every single day to try to do more with less. And it is impossible.”
Moreover, before Oregon had child forensic interviewers, abused children were questioned in police stations or in their homes, inches from where the abuse occurred or within earshot of the person who hurt them, where well-intentioned but untrained people unknowingly further traumatized child victims, while too often hurting their legal case. Without these state funds for CACs, victims of child abuse and other crimes of violence will lose access to the services that keep them safe, help them heal, and bring them justice.
“Domestic violence is a leading cause of houselessness for women and children. Without support services, survivors are too often forced to make the impossible choice between becoming homeless or staying with a dangerous abuser. Investing money in survivors’ safety and housing stability ultimately decreases taxpayer spending on public shelter, healthcare, law enforcement, and judicial systems—while also helping keep the most vulnerable in our communities safe,” shared Emmy Ritter, MSW, executive director of Raphael House of Portland.
“Survivors and their children who are fleeing violence and seeking safety and security deserve access to the services these funds provide,” emphasized Rachel Stutz, executive director of the Family Justice Center of Washington County.
“As a survivor, an advocate, and the chair of a survivor advisory committee, I know firsthand that domestic violence and sexual assault organizations are not just services, they are lifelines,” shared one survivor connected with the Family Justice Center of Washington County. “These organizations save lives, rebuild hope, restore dignity to families, and strengthen our communities. If funding were to be cut, we undo years of progress and put countless lives at risk. Survivors deserve better. We deserve safety, support, and the chance to rebuild our lives. Our communities are stronger when we invest in healing, not when we turn our backs.”
CONTACTS:
Amanda Rain, CWS Communications Manager Melissa Erlbaum, CWS Executive Director
(503) 949-1488 or [email protected] (503) 341-7115 or [email protected]
Rachel Stutz, FJC WC Executive Director Emmy Ritter, Raphael House of Portland Executive Director
(503) 801-5665 or [email protected] (503) 243-5119 or [email protected]
Esther Garrett, Safety Compass CEO & Founder Brandy Selover, SARC Executive Director
(971) 235-0021 or [email protected] [email protected]
Vicki Guinn, Legacy Health and CARES Northwest Janine Lisac-Goans, DVRC Interim Executive Director