County joins with Family Support Center to apply for violence against women grant

Thurston’s Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the county and the Family Support Center (FSC) in applying for the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women Grant.

The approval supports the nonprofit’s application for the OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Grants to Improve Criminal Justice Response (ICJR) Program and authorizes the BoCC Chair Tye Menser, the county prosecutor, the county clerk, and the county sheriff to sign the MoU.

FSC is a local nonprofit focusing on family and victim services. It has partnered with the local Government of Thurston County since its founding in 1992.

“The county has been entering into MoUs with the FSC for many years now. I believe this is the 4th consecutive MoU. We do this every three years, and again, this enables the FSC to receive federal funding that supports services to women who experience domestic violence in our community,” said Assistant County Manager Robin Campbell.

Thurston County has funded and supported FSC programs and services since its inception and multiple county departments have co-located space within the Family Support Center Campus.

FSC and county government partnership

In 2008, a formal partnership between the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (TCPAO), Thurston County Sheriff's Office (TCSO), and Thurston County Clerk’s Office (TCCO) was established.

This is after the TCPAO was awarded an Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) Grant to Encourage Arrest (GEA) for the Family Justice Center model, referred to during that time as the “Family Safety Team.”

In 2011, the Family Support Center of South Sound joined when the Family Safety Team looked for a new location outside the county courthouse.

 FSC provided a new physical location for the Family Justice Center and became a full partner, supplementing the program through providing domestic violence advocacy and supportive services.

In 2011, FSC adopted the Family Justice Center as an agency program and initiated the development of the current Leadership Team, which consists of the Executive Director of FSC, the elected Prosecutor of the TCPAO, the elected Sheriff of the TCSO, and the elected Clerk of the TCCO.

In 2015, 2018, and 2021, FSC, in partnership with the Leadership Team and the county, was awarded another GEA and ICJR Program funding to further plan, develop, and establish the Family Justice Center program.