Defending Childhood Initiative

Defending Childhood is a new Department of Justice initiative focused on addressing children's exposure to violence. The goals of the initiative are to prevent children's exposure to violence as victims and witnesses, mitigate the negative effects experienced by children exposed to violence, and develop knowledge about and increase awareness of this issue.

A key component of the initiative is a multi-year demonstration program. Phase I includes planning grants for eight demonstration sites listed below. In Phase II, up to four communities will be selected from the initial eight to receive funding for further implementation of their plans, based on the availability of funding. This program supports the development of comprehensive community-based strategies to prevent and reduce the impact of children's exposure to violence in their homes, schools, and communities.

The eight demonstration sites are: