The Virginia General Assembly established a special, non-reverting fund in 2019 to decrease the negative effects that sexual and domestic violence (SDV) have on communities in the Commonwealth. The Sexual and Domestic Violence Prevention Fund (the Fund) is the only dedicated state funding for the primary prevention of domestic and sexual violence. The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) is responsible for the administration of the Fund. Through the distribution of monies in the Fund, the VDSS Office of Family Violence (OFV) successfully continued the state-funded SDV primary prevention initiative, equipping 14 grantees with renewed funding.

Continued support for these primary prevention grants helps dismantle the root causes of violence and builds local capacity to improve outcomes based on established strategies for prevention. The Sexual and Domestic Violence Training and Technical Assistance Grant ensures that agencies have the tools and expertise needed to decrease the negative effects that sexual and domestic violence have on communities in the state.