Federal funding for victim services has been cut at unprecedented levels, threatening the safety net that children and families depend on. Across the country, programs supported by the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) and the Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) have faced steep reductions, and Blue Sky Bridge has not been immune.
In the summer of 2025, Blue Sky Bridge was notified of a 27 percent reduction to our VOCA grant for both FY26 and FY27, resulting in a loss of $188,000 over two years. VOCA has long been a primary funding source for our core direct services, including forensic interviews, family advocacy, and trauma-focused therapy.
VOCA’s federal funding stream, the Crime Victims Fund, relies on criminal fines and settlements rather than taxpayer dollars. As federal prosecutions and corporate settlements have declined, the fund’s deposits have dropped sharply, creating multi-year shortfalls. Nationwide, state allocations have been cut by 30 to 60 percent, leaving child advocacy centers and victim service organizations struggling to sustain essential operations. Unlike other federal programs, VOCA has no automatic replenishment mechanism. Once the fund declines, it cannot easily be restored without new federal settlements or congressional action.
At the state level, Colorado Children’s Alliance, which administers VOCA allocations to local child advocacy centers, has notified Blue Sky Bridge to anticipate an additional 12 percent cut to our annual state pass-through disbursement of $90,000.
Adding to the challenge, we have also experienced the loss of other key public funds. The Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program, another long-standing source of core funding for victim services, was eliminated after an $811 million federal budget reduction to the Department of Justice, resulting in a 100 percent cut to Blue Sky Bridge’s $70,000 grant.
Overall, these cuts have amounted to a 10 percent loss, to date, in our total operating budget. We anticipate additional reductions and ripple effects as the fundraising landscape grows increasingly competitive, with more organizations vying for fewer philanthropic dollars. Federal funding for victim services is shrinking dramatically. Without increased private support, these reductions will directly impact our ability to provide timely forensic interviews, trauma therapy, and prevention education for children and families in crisis.
We thank Boulder County District Attorney, Michael Dougherty, for his words at our annual fundraiser, ‘A Singular Feast,’ that speak directly to this issue. Click on the YouTube link to view the entire program from ‘A Singular Feast’ and hear the impactful words of DA Dougherty, Executive Director Ivan Jackson, Board Member Sabra Willner, and Longmont Detective and Board Member Cody Clark: https://youtu.be/PktQvehMzjc?si=zXNS2iizJIYCo05u
