Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Advocacy Resources
The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) provides funding for victim services out of the Crime Victims Fund, and it has become an important source of support for CACs across the country. The money in the fund is all nontax dollars--it comes from fines and penalties paid by convicted federal offenders. Unfortunately, deposits into the fund have been declining as the Department of Justice increasingly relies on non-prosecution and deferred-prosecution agreements. This puts CAC funding for services to kids in crisis.
What You Can Do
Call, email, and call again: ask your one US Representative to sign on and become a House Co-Sponsor of the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act! (This action alert is for the House only! We hope to have a similar alert for the Senate in the coming weeks.)
Find Contact Information for Your Elected Officials and Ask Them to Fix VOCA
Members of Congress pay attention to how many constituents care enough to contact them about an issue, so taking a few minutes to call or email your U.S. representative would be a huge help.
Questions? Contact National Children’s Alliance (NCA) Director of Government Affairs Denise Edwards at dedwards@nca-online.org.
About these resources
NCA has collected these resources, created by ourselves and our many expert partners, to help CACs and Chapters advocate for the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) resources that are critical to their operations and service delivery to children and families. Your advocacy is important to ensure a permanent source of funding for CAC services. Contact Denise Edwards at dedwards@nca-online.org to learn more and get started.
Crisis for Crime Victims Fund historical background of VOCA funds, deposits and disbursements
VOCA Background one-pager that offers a quick overview of the problem with VOCA funding
VOCA fix sign-on letter to Congress on November 16, 2020
VOCA fix letter from the National Association of Attorneys General sent to Congress August 24, 2020
Congressional contacts by state and House district; if you email a member of Congress about the need to make VOCA funding sustainable, address the email to the congressional staffer who handles judiciary/criminal justice issues for that member of Congress.
