In a report "Domestic Violence Counts" released Thursday, the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) conducted a 24-hour census on Sept. 25, 2007, of shelters and services across the United States. Of the 1,949 programs identified, 69 percent participated in the census.
Cuts to core programs threaten advocates' abilities to meet demand for services, according to the report.
"Despite assisting more than 53,000 adults and children, participating programs were unable to meet 7,707 request for services due to a lack of resources," read the introduction to the report. "Many programs reported shortages in critical services such as housing, transportation, childcare, legal representation, and counseling services."
During the 24 hour census, a chilling reminder was brought to them by a Nevada domestic violence program:
"A woman arrived at a shelter in Nevada with her two young children. Se was wearing little clothing, and the duct tape that her abuser had bound her with was still hanging from her wrists and ankles. As she approached the front door of the shelter, her husband, who had followed her, ran up, grabbed one of the children from her arms, and quickly left. Shelter staff helped her inside and called the police. As of two days after this event, her abuser nor her child has been located."
"We face an overwhelming problem in our community around domestic violence," said a participating program in Nevada. "Our shelters are over run, our counselors have an eight-week waiting list, and we have no room or funds to hire more staff."
And a program in Missouri said that cuts in funding "eventually cost lives."
In one unidentified program, the NNEDV reported that a woman called looking for shelter. The program reported they were full, and when they tried a local mission, they were full too. Later that evening, the woman was raped and taken to the emergency room.
"If our community had more resources, this could have ended differently," the report said.
However, when victims are placed into programs, they work:
An Alaskan domestic violence program: "Today was a good day. Our legal advocates helped a mother regain custody of her children, and we received a call from a previous client who has since finished school."
An Arizona domestic violence program: "The women we serve are generally running away from their abusers. On a good note, one of our participants received permanent housing today for herself and her children."
A Georgia domestic violence program: "By the end of the survey day, one of our advocates had met with 11 women and 14 children. She advocated for their financial needs, car repairs, doctor appointments, and found extra funding to help them purchase medications. She even rescued a victim with a flat tire!"
NNEDV reported that 61 percent of the unmet requests were for emergency shelter and transitional housing.
"Domestic violence programs are already struggling to meet the huge demand for shelter and advocacy services," said Sue Else, President of the National Network to End Domestic Violence. "Because of cuts in the 2008 federal budget, domestic violence programs will have even fewer resources to offer victims. When programs don't have adequate funding to operate, victims are left with no choice but to return to their abusers."
