Alaska Legislature approves $5.5 million for child advocacy centers, fills federal funding shortfall

The Alaska Legislature has approved state funding for child advocacy centers, which support child victims of physical and sexual abuse.

Alaska’s 20 centers were in limbo, facing a $5.5 million shortfall after federal grants were ended or cut, as well as uncertainty over whether operations and services would continue past June. 

On Friday afternoon, the budget conference committee – tasked with hammering out the final budget between the House and Senate versions – approved the funds to fill the gap and provide $5.5 million in state funding.

Rep. Andy Jospephson, D-Anchorage and chair of the committee, said it was made clear that funding for the centers was a priority. “They’re critically important, and they rose to the very, very top of my list,” he said. “In other words, there was no ask, given their financial predicament and importance, that I thought was more significant.”

Mari Mukai, executive director of the nonprofit Alaska Children’s Alliance, said she was grateful for the funding. The alliance provides support, training and technical assistance to Alaska’s 20 child advocacy centers around the state. “I know what a difficult fiscal situation we’re in right now and understand that many difficult decisions needed to be made,” she said in a phone interview on Monday.

Child advocacy centers provide services for children and their caregivers after suspected physical or sexual abuse, including trauma-informed interviewing, forensic services, streamlined investigations, and victim advocacy through the life of the case. They served 2,061 families statewide last year, Mukai said. 

The centers are funded at $10.9 million through a mix of federal and local grants, as well as other funding they raise. Mukai said the state’s backstop funding will make up about half of their budget, and enable the centers to continue current operations and services. 

“Unfortunately, Alaska is consistently on the top of the nation for rates of child abuse and violence, and domestic violence, and so unfortunately, yes, I do think that there’s still a lot of need, but this would be a great first step,” she said. 

The Alaska Legislature voted to approve the final operating budget on Tuesday, and Gov. Mike Dunleavy will issue budget vetoes of individual line items before July 1. 

Mukai added that another federal grant the centers rely on is in danger – the Victims of Crime Act, provided by the U.S. Department of Justice through penalties related to crimes. Alaska advocates are urging the congressional delegation to push the U.S. Congress to protect this funding, as the Trump administration has moved to cancel hundreds of grants and millions of dollars supporting victims services through the Department of Justice.