U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Thad Cochran (R-MS) joined a bipartisan effort last week calling on U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to aid child advocacy centers (CACs) nationwide by ensuring federal support for medical and forensic services.
“Thousands of children would greatly benefit from forensic services if they were more readily available,” Wicker said. “Unfortunately, many child advocacy centers are experiencing a shortage of these experts because of funding uncertainty. The Justice Department can remove that uncertainty by making it clear that the services will be reimbursed. This would be an important step to ensure that victims of abuse can receive the help they need to heal.”
Mississippi has nine CACs serving 3,200 children in the state. The centers provide assistance to abused children and conduct interviews that are often access points for other victim services.
“These advocacy centers offer important care and support to abused children and young victims of human trafficking,” Cochran said. “We want the Justice Department to ensure that their services, such as forensic interviews and medical examinations, are eligible for reimbursement through the Victims of Crime Assistance fund. This support could be critical in helping these youths find justice.”
As part of an effort led by Sens. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Chris Coons (D-DE), a letter sent to Lynch called on her to explicitly state that forensic interviews and forensic medical exams are reimbursable services under the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Victims Assistance Program. Such a clarification would allow CACs to conduct the services with greater efficiency.
Nothing currently prohibits states and CACs from using VOCA funding as a means of paying for forensic interviews or forensic medical exams, but many have been hesitant to do so because the DOJ has not clearly defined such services as reimbursable.