What a loss of congressional funding will mean for child crime victims in Oklahoma | Guest

When a child walks through the doors of a Child Advocacy Center (CAC), the first few minutes are some of the most vital in their recovery. For decades, Oklahoma’s CACs have served children involved in the most severe types of child abuse investigations. Across the state, these centers are consistently the first line of defense for these children and their families.

The foundation for this work is the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), and through it the Crime Victims Fund (CVF). Instead of using taxpayer dollars, this legislation ensures that a portion of the fines, fees and settlements from federal criminal prosecutions are diverted to the aid of crime victims through this fund.

Child Advocacy Centers across the country rely heavily on continued federal support to guarantee the flow of resources and support to the children that seek us out.

However, due to the nature of the Victims of Crime Act and its variable funding sources like fines, settlements from federal criminal prosecutions and forfeited bonds, the pot has been drying up for years. With each year that the fund shrinks, Child Advocacy Centers have to determine how to provide the same support with fewer resources.

This year, despite a targeted effort by advocates representing a variety of disciplines from across the nation, the Crime Victims Fund suffered a $600 million slash to the final bottom line. Across the nation, this results in a significant reduction of financial support for victims of violent crimes, depleted legal resources in the pursuit of justice and fewer victims’ rights advocates.

For the CAC of Oklahoma, a cut like this to the Victims of Crime Act will mean all of that and more.

Thousands of Oklahoma children suffer abuse and neglect each year. According to the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, during the calendar year 2023, there were 13,773 confirmed cases of child abuse and neglect across the state. During that same time, Oklahoma’s 20 accredited children’s advocacy centers and three developing CACs served approximately 8,481 children who were directly involved in child abuse investigations as alleged victims.

More: Online predators target kids. Congress must prioritize funding to protect them. | Opinion

A drastic drop in the Crime Victims Fund support to our state’s 20 accredited CACs would only be the first domino to fall. With the initial cut, we will likely see losses to the mental health staff and programming as well as fewer victim advocates and forensic Interviewers. Losing such vital staff members will make it that much harder for our CACs to maintain National Children's Alliance accreditation status and remain eligible for state funding. Suddenly, federal Victims of Crime Act cuts would throw Oklahoma CAC state funding into jeopardy, too, and our communities could lose a quiet, yet vital, resource that is relied upon in the most trying times.

To end the programs for these young crime victims would be to abandon them. We owe crime victims more than that.

That is precisely what Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Missouri) and her colleagues are seeking to avoid with the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2024. This critical bill infuses desperately needed dollars into the Crime Victims Fund to stabilize the Victims of Crime Act funding. Until a permanent remedy can support this crucial system, we must offer our voices to these young victims and advocate for our congressional leaders to do their part to ensure these vital funds make it to Oklahoma children in need. We thank those in Congress, especially U.S. Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Oklahoma City) as a co-sponsor, who have signed on in support of this important legislation. We urge those not yet signed on in support to do so swiftly.

We urge Congress to support us in this work and to swiftly pass the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2024, guaranteeing sustained assistance to this most vulnerable population, now and for years to come.

Carrie Little is executive director of the Children's Advocacy Centers of Oklahoma.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Child Advocacy Centers in jeopardy. Congress needs to act now