photo by: AP Photo/John Hanna

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is pictured outside the Statehouse in Topeka, Kansas, May 3, 2024.

More than $10 million in federal funding will be allocated to community-based organizations and local and state agencies providing services directly to crime victims and survivors, including about $340,000 to Douglas County, Gov. Laura Kelly’s office announced Wednesday.

The funding comes from the federal Victims of Crime Act Victim Assistance, or VOCA, grant program.

The Douglas County entities receiving funds are the Willow Domestic Violence Center, $144,488; the Sexual Trauma & Abuse Care Center, $103,475; the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office, $58,509; the Child Advocacy Center of Douglas County, $23,545; and Douglas County Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, $9,653.

“These services are vital to the well-being of Kansans impacted by crime,” Kelly said in the news release. “This funding gives organizations the ability to continue providing the assistance crime victims and survivors deserve as they stabilize their lives, navigate the criminal justice system, and regain a sense of safety and security.”

VOCA grants help organizations in delivering essential services, which include court advocacy and criminal justice support, provided by law enforcement and prosecutors. Other services involve crisis counseling offered by sexual assault and mental health centers, forensic interviews conducted by children’s advocacy centers, as well as shelter, transportation, and transitional housing provided by domestic violence programs.

A total of $10,289,285 was awarded to 65 agencies, according to the release.