Policy That Leads
Working to secure funding for important services, programs and resources.
We advocate on the hill for increased funding for programs and services that serve survivors of violence, and work to prevent violence from happening in the first place. A couple examples include fighting for FVPSA and the funding it provides important survivor services, CAPTA, VAWA, and smaller programs like Children Exposed to Violence, or the Interagency Taskforce on Trauma-Informed Care out of SAMHSA.
In the 118th Congress, FUTURES policy Center will work hard for increases in funding, but will also fight against devastating cuts. FUTURES will fight to prevent funding cuts to housing, food accessibility, health care, and other social supports that can help prevent violence and abuse.
Advancing economic justice and security.
At the FUTURES Policy Center, we know economic justice is survivor justice – many survivors are forced to make the incredibly difficult decision of staying with an abusive partner because of financial dependency. We work hard in the workforce development field making sure jobs are safe and accessible for those often left behind – survivors of violence and trauma, youth, women, and particularly mothers of color.
Addressing and preventing childhood trauma.
Exposure to violence, including domestic violence, mass shootings, racial and gender violence, and other adverse experiences can have a huge impact on a child. The effects of trauma can follow a young person long into adulthood, and continue a cycle of violence that’s detrimental to the health and well-being of families, communities, and individuals.
We fight hard to make sure children are not forgotten in bills that address trauma and violence, including within existing service sector programs like FVPSA or VAWA. FUTURS co-chairs the Child Trauma and ACEs Policy (CTAP) Working Group which focuses on advancing federal policy that prevents and responds to childhood trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
Focusing on Maternal and reproductive health.
Homicide is one of the leading causes of death for pregnant people – violence is a real driver of disparities in the health care system, particularly for black birthing people. Our health care system is an important immediate resource for many survivors of violence, for treatment of injuries, and source of resources and information regarding relationship health, and important reproductive services.
We at the FUTRES Policy Center think an important solution is having health care providers universally using CUES, an evidence-based intervention to address domestic and sexual violence in health settings.
Fighting against gun violence.
The prevalence of gun violence in this country poses a dire threat, especially to children and those at risk of domestic violence. Guns are now the number 1 cause of death for children ages 1-18. Gun violence is traumatizing our families, communities, and individuals, and we must do better.
There is an undeniable link between domestic violence and gun violence, and we owe it to survivors of DV, their children, and our communities to do something about it. FUTURES Policy Center will work hard to ban assault weapons, completely close the boyfriend loophole, advocate for common sense gun storing practices, and advocate for more mental health services to kids.
Working with boys and men.
Anyone of any gender identity, orientation, race or ethnicity, and religion can experience violence in any form. However, domestic violence is disproportionately perpetrated by men against women. To leave men and boys out of the conversation on how to prevent violence is to miss a huge piece of the puzzle. We think it is essential to engage with men and boys, either by teaching healthy relationships through sports teams, or advocating for abusive partner intervention programs in order to prevent violence against women and other marginalized people disproportionately impacted by violence and abuse.
Fighting for gender parity globally.
One out of every three women worldwide will be physically, sexually or otherwise abused during her lifetime—with rates reaching 70 percent in some countries. This type of violence can take on many forms, from rape to domestic violence, to child marriage and human trafficking. In an effort to end this scourge on women and girls worldwide, FUTURES engages in advocacy, education and programming efforts and helps develop innovative policy solutions which call for sustained support and continued leadership.
FUTRUES Policy Center will continue to leverage the power and funds of the U.S. Government to increase gender parity abroad. We advocate for important bills like the IVAWA or the Girls LEAD Act, increase funding for violence prevention programs, and heavily inform important U.S. strategies to address Gender Policy and GBV.
An important aspect of our global work is increasing the agency and power of young women and girls in their own community. Women, girls, and other marginalized people are often left out of important policy decisions and political agency. When they can have a seat at the table, we all benefit.
