Domestic violence agencies rally for state funding

When Lynn Jarmon was 12 years old in the late 1960s, she and her family were forced to flee from her abusive father. They had faced years of violence before finally escaping.

Back then, domestic violence was a dark secret families guarded from the rest of the world, Jarmon said. Almost 50 years later, Jarmon added, state-funded programs ensure a spotlight shines on domestic violence prevention and victim support.

“The light of day has been shone upon it and today, people have options,” Jarmon said.

But domestic violence service providers like the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Call For Help, the Living Independently Now Center and the Violence Prevention Center of Southwestern Illinois have not received any general revenue funds for fiscal 2017, said Carrie Boyd, director of policy for the Illinois coalition.

In February, domestic violence service providers learned $9 million in state funding for 62 programs that provide shelter, counseling and advocacy for victims of domestic abuse was left out of a six-month budget that took effect July 1.

In April, the Illinois House voted to allocate $817 million to universities and human services. The bill (HB109) would only ensure a third of the necessary funding for providers, Boyd said.

Advocates gathered Tuesday morning at the Public Square in Belleville to rally for two bills that would provide full funding for domestic violence service providers. The bills (HB3259 and SB1695) would fully fund domestic violence service providers with $18.6 million in appropriations.

Without full funding, agencies will struggle to provide the services that have a community-wide impact, said Vickie Smith, executive director of Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The agency provides a 24-hour crisis hotline, a 35-bed emergency shelter, counseling, police and court advocacy, art therapy and community prevention education. Domestic violence has an affect on law enforcement, schools and social services, Smith said.

“It falls back onto the community when the state doesn’t hold up its end of the bargain,” Smith said.

James Kellerman, the executive director of Call For Help, said his organization has lost $146,000 in funding this fiscal year. Call For Help provides support and a hotline to people in crisis. Kellerman said the lack of funding resulted in the layoff of a prevention educator who would teach schools and organizations about domestic violence.

It would be unacceptable, Mayor Mark Eckert said, for the city of Belleville to go without a budget for so long. The city passed its 2017-18 budget Monday night. Eckert urged attendees to continue urging lawmakers to pass a budget.

“We’ve got to keep fighting,” Eckert said. “We’ve got to have a budget.”

St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly said funding for programs is essential to protecting the quality of the community.

“It affects what we stand for as a state, as a county, in terms of how we value human life, how we see potential of our fellow human beings, if we are not adequately responding to the needs of domestic violence,” Kelly said.

This story was originally published April 18, 2017 at 1:18 PM with the headline "Domestic violence agencies rally for state funding."