Are battered immigrants eligible for battered womens shelter services funded by HHS?
Yes. Battered women’s shelters receive funding from a variety of Federal sources, including Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) funding from the Office for Community Services in the Administration for Children and Families. These funds are administered through a designated state agency. There are no immigration restrictions included in FVPSA, and HHS has not designated FVPSA monies as a federal public benefit program that requires verification of immigration status. Other important points to remember about FVPSA funding include: • FVPSA-funded programs may not discriminate based on national origin. 42 U.S.C. 10406. • Formula grant-funded activities must address ethnic, cultural and language-diversity issues. 42 U.S.C. 10402(a)(2)(C). • States must document procedures that they have developed and implemented to assure the confidentiality of records pertaining to any individual provided FVPSA-funded services. 42 U.S.C. 10402(a)(2)(E). Most, if not all, states have statute
