Reducing domestic violence and improving outcomes for children: Funding civil legal aid to maximize impact

Domestic violence survivors and children in foster care often experience significant unmet civil legal needs. Legal aid services, when adequately funded, can help close the justice gap for these two populations while improving safety, stability, and court efficiencies. However, despite ample literature demonstrating how legal aid can improve outcomes, almost half of those seeking legal aid services are turned away due to lack of resources. This article reviews the research and data about how legal aid can improve outcomes for people in the domestic violence and child welfare contexts. It also discusses how several state-administered federal funding opportunities-including the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Victim Assistance Formula Grant Program, Title IV-D child support funds, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) basic block grants-can fund the needed civil legal help.