While PCADV and direct service programs statewide are pleased that the PA legislature has passed a budget, the most vulnerable people in our state have gone more than 130 days without funding for the support systems they desperately need. Pennsylvania was the last state nationwide to approve a budget, and domestic violence programs and shelters across the state were deeply impacted.
Programs were forced to lay off staff, leave vacant positions unfilled, and reduce services, with many county programs on the brink of closing down. Even with a budget passed, it is going to take time to rebuild services and restore staffing, putting additional strain on domestic violence victims and the programs that serve them.
Victims of domestic violence and their children deserve safety and security, and our communities must work together to prevent abuse in homes across the Commonwealth. We must prioritize essential services and fund them consistently, even in times of government shutdown.
And domestic violence services and shelters are essential.
In 2025, PA lawmakers abandoned domestic violence victims and their children, forcing programs to provide services without funding for more than four months. This cannot happen again. The Commonwealth and the legislature must do better in the future.