Subject: FACT Spring Family Fridge 🌷

Welcome to FACT’s Family Fridge!

Think of this newsletter as FACT’s family refrigerator! This is where you’ll find all the important news, upcoming dates, and highlights of the great work around Virginia.

a graphic of a refrigerator, the door is open with various groceries inside and on the outside of the fridge are magnets of FACT's license plates

$200,000 Grant Awarded for the Prevention of Abuse Against People with Disabilities

A group of individuals pose for a photo after completing the leap training

The Leadership for Empowerment and Abuse Prevention (LEAP) project, developed in collaboration between VCU’s School of Social Work and the Partnership for People with Disabilities, provides training on healthy relationships and information about preventing abuse to adults with disabilities. People with intellectual disabilities are more than seven times as likely to experience sexual assault compared to their peers. Assaults are frequently perpetrated by someone that the disabled survivor trusts. While this is the case for the vast majority of sexual assaults against all people, people with intellectual disabilities are even more likely to know their perpetrator. LEAP is one of very few evidence-based training programs in the United States that focuses on preventing sexual abuse against adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

During Fiscal Year 2024, in partnership with the Virginia Department of Health, FACT supported Richmond Residential Services Inc. and The Arc of Harrisonburg and Rockingham to become LEAP Certified Centers for Abuse Prevention and Safety (C-CAPS). The training takes place in four face-to-face 90-minute sessions that are taught by a trainer with a disability and a co-trainer. Richmond Residential Services Inc. and The Arc of Harrisonburg and Rockingham each had two staff members and two individuals with disabilities who utilize their services become LEAP trainers. These trainers will continue to facilitate two LEAP trainings a year and create an organizational culture of empowerment and abuse prevention. Above is a photo from one of the trainings our Executive Director, Nicole Poulin, attended.

In March 2025, FACT finalized a $200,000 contract, in partnership with The Partnership for People with Disabilities, for a two-year project to expand the LEAP Program to Roanoke and Hampton Roads. Both sites will employ part-time staff dedicated to the LEAP Project.

The following organizations and programs were approved for ad hoc grant funding at the March Board meeting:

Greater Augusta Coalition Against Adult Abuse awarded $5,000 for their upcoming statewide training “Unmasking Adult Abuse, Leading the Way to Change.” FACT is a longtime supporter of the statewide training which focuses on preventing and addressing abuse against older adults.
The Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance awarded $4,000 for their “Power of We” conference. FACT is a longtime supporter of the annual statewide conference.
Early Impact Virginia awarded $5,000 for their “Together We Thrive: 2025 Virginia Home Visiting Conference.” FACT is a longtime supporter of the annual statewide conference.
Virginia Victim Assistance Network awarded $5,000 to support their Advocate Essentials Academy for victim advocates. The academy is a statewide, weeklong training focused on court advocates. FACT previously supported the annual conference which will not be held this year.
Camp HOPE America Massanutten Mountains awarded $5,000 to support implementing a camp for children and youth who have been exposed to domestic violence. Camp HOPE is a new initiative developed by two local community coalitions: Shenandoah Family Youth Initiative and Page Alliance for Community Action. FACT is proud to support this project for the first time.

Other upcoming events that received 2024 FACT ad hoc grants:

Virginia Department of Social Services Annual Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention Conference April 28th-29th, 2025, Kingsmill Resort, Williamsburg, VA - FACT provided Families Forward with support to assist people with lived experience to speak that the conference.
Resilience Week, May 1st-7th, 2025
The 3 C’s of MDTs: Communication, Collaboration, and Cooperation, Virginia Coalition for the Prevention of Elder Abuse 29th Annual Conference, May 14 – 16, 2025, Newport News Marriott at City Center

Emergency Funds Project

FACT continues to offer flexible funding to organizations to assist families experiencing trauma related to family violence. These funds have been critical to our communities across Virginia. They go towards many of the unexpected expenses families who live paycheck to paycheck face. We know that having to choose between covering the cost of a car or critical home repair, or paying a fee and expenses so your child can participate in an afterschool activity, can place a significant level of stress on families who are already struggling to survive. These funds can help to increase the resiliency for some of these families in Virginia.

For FY25, the Board of Trustees approved funding up to $230,000 towards this vital program. That support will be divided among sexual and domestic violence agencies, home visiting programs, and 2 Generation / Whole Family Community Action Pilot sites. An additional $10,000 was allocated for the Skyward Fund pilot project which helps youth and families involved with the Department of Juvenile Justice access direct assistance funds.

For information about the awards and applications, please visit the link to the respective programs listed below:

Sexual and Domestic Violence Programs Applications due May 30, 2025
Home Visiting Programs Applications due April 30, 2025
Two-Generation/Whole Family Pilot Project Applications due May 15, 2025
Skyward Fund No new applications at this time

Problematic Sexual Behavior Project

Phase II of the Problematic Sexual Behavior (PSB) Project is underway! In collaboration with community partners, our contractor is developing a 3-day Train-the-Trainer curriculum and toolkit for Multi-Disciplinary Teams (MDTs) who respond to cases involving children who engage in PSB against other children. This curriculum will be based on the guidance document developed during Phase I. You can find more about Phase I of the PSB Project here.

Three pilot communities will be selected to receive the train-the-trainer program by four MDT members. Each training will be conducted by 2-3 professional trainers from different professional backgrounds and have 12 attendees. Attendees will learn best practice responses, skills for implementation, as well as how to present the community response to PSB material to their community. The first training is anticipated to start in November 2025!

Did you know you can donate to FACT when filing your state income taxes?

Virginia law allows taxpayers to voluntarily donate all or part of their income tax refund to one or more qualified organizations as approved by the General Assembly. To make a contribution on the Virginia Schedule VAC form, under “Other Voluntary Contributions”, enter code 72 for the Family and Children’s Trust Fund and then enter the contribution amount. The amount you donate will reduce your refund or increase your balance due. See the current tax year’s Form 760 instructions for additional information on the Virginia Schedule VAC: https://www.tax.virginia.gov/forms.

You can show your support FACT while driving around town! Through our license plate program, we receive $15 each year for our Kids First license plates and share the revenue from the star, heart, and hand license plates with Virginia Department of Health’s Safe Kids Coalition.