Shaheen Congratulates Strafford County on New Grant from U.S. Department of Justice to Help Families Affected by Domestic Violence

(Manchester, N.H.) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) offered her congratulations to Strafford County after it was announced that it would receive a Justice For Families Grant totaling $588,015 from the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office on Violence Against Women for the Strafford County Supervised Visitation and Exchange Center. The Office on Violence Against Women currently administers 24 grant programs authorized by the Violence Against Women Act, which was strongly supported by Senator Shaheen. The Strafford County Supervised Visitation and Exchange Center, first opened in 2015, provides a safe space for children to spend time with noncustodial and custodial parents in Strafford County and Rockingham County. The three-year grant will enable the Center to continue providing services to families free of charge, expand their hours of operation to accommodate more families, and work with the NH Legal Assistance to facilitate legal needs of low-income victims of abuse, among other services.

“Strafford County officials and advocates have been recognized by the Department of Justice for their exemplary work to help victims of abuse and families affected by domestic violence,” said Senator Shaheen. “Domestic violence affects people of all ages and backgrounds across the Granite State and we need law enforcement, courts and advocates working together to address it. The Strafford County Supervised Visitation and Exchange Center is a model for community-oriented approaches to create a safe space for victims and their children to recover and rebuild. The Justice For Families Grant will enable the Center to help more families across the region and protect children from abusive environments, as the Violence Against Women Act intended.”

“The Strafford County Supervised Visitation and Exchange Center is just one of the continuing efforts of Strafford County to change the face of the criminal justice system in our region,” said George Maglaras, Chairman of the Strafford County Board of Commissioners. “We thank the Department of Justice for their support so that we can expand our services to help more families throughout the community.”