Strategies To Support Children Exposed to Violence

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is offering funding under the program OJJDP FY25 Strategies to Support Children Exposed to Violence. This program aims to strengthen services for children who are exposed to violence in their homes, schools, and communities, while also supporting strategies that reduce violent crime committed by juvenile offenders. The notice of funding opportunity emphasizes three primary goals: reducing the incidence of violence through accountability for juvenile offenders, addressing the victimization of children exposed to violence, and increasing protective factors to prevent juvenile violence, delinquency, and further victimization. The program is rooted in the Department of Justice’s broader mission of upholding the rule of law, ensuring safety, and protecting civil rights. The total funding available under this program is $7,460,000, with up to nine awards anticipated. Individual awards may be as high as $830,000, and the period of performance is expected to begin October 1, 2025, lasting up to 36 months. Applicants may propose budgets lower than the maximum award ceiling, but budgets must remain reasonable and manageable. Award recipients are expected to use the funding to design and implement trauma-informed strategies across prevention and intervention activities. Programs should support evidence-based mental health services for children exposed to violence and include outreach efforts, although no more than ten percent of the award may be used for outreach activities. Awardees must also develop or enhance comprehensive plans that build collaborative networks of support for children and families. Eligible applicants include a wide range of entities such as state, county, city, township, and special district governments; Native American tribal governments and organizations; public and private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; and nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status. Units of local government, including towns, boroughs, parishes, and villages, are also eligible. Individuals and for-profit entities are not eligible. The program does not require cost sharing or matching, which allows applicants to design projects without the added requirement of leveraged funds. Applicants may submit more than one proposal if the projects are distinct, and collaborative applications are allowed, though only one entity may serve as the lead applicant. Applications will follow a two-step submission process. First, applicants must submit the SF-424 in Grants.gov by October 21, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. After Grants.gov submission, full applications are due in JustGrants by October 27, 2025, at 8:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Applicants must maintain active registration in SAM.gov and obtain a Unique Entity Identifier before applying. Submissions must include key components such as a proposal abstract, proposal narrative, budget detail form, financial questionnaires, and other required attachments. These attachments may include resumes of key personnel, memoranda of understanding for project partners, letters of support, timelines, logic models, position descriptions, and organizational charts. Applications will be reviewed first for basic minimum requirements to ensure eligibility, responsiveness, and completeness. Those meeting the minimum criteria will proceed to a merit review process where peer reviewers will evaluate proposals on several criteria, including the clarity of the statement of need, the relevance and feasibility of goals and objectives, the quality of project design and implementation, the capacity of the applicant to execute the project, and the appropriateness of the budget. Applications are scored with weighted criteria, and additional programmatic and financial reviews will be conducted by OJP staff. Final award decisions will be made by the Assistant Attorney General, who may also consider factors such as geographic distribution, past performance, and strategic priorities. Successful applicants will be required to submit quarterly financial reports, semi-annual performance reports, and final reports. Performance reporting will include measures to evaluate how the funded activities achieve the program goals and objectives, such as the implementation of trauma-informed services, outreach efforts, and delivery of evidence-based mental health care. Award recipients must comply with all applicable federal civil rights and nondiscrimination requirements. Technical assistance resources are available, including the OJP Response Center, Grants.gov support, JustGrants support, and SAM.gov help desks. The OJP Response Center can be contacted by phone at 800-851-3420 or 202-353-5556 (TTY), or by email at OJP.ResponseCenter@usdoj.gov during business hours. The funding opportunity was released on September 12, 2025, and requires SAM.gov registration or renewal by no later than October 6, 2025. While there are no mandatory pre-application steps such as letters of intent, applicants are encouraged to begin registration processes as early as possible to avoid delays. The program does not have rolling deadlines but is expected to recur annually, as OJP has indicated that continuation funding may be available in future fiscal years subject to appropriations and program performance. This positions the opportunity as both a critical funding stream for immediate community safety and child protection efforts and a potential long-term partnership for sustaining services to children exposed to violence.