05/29/2026
These funds are desperately needed in times like these.
URGENT: Governor Mike Kehoe is currently reviewing the FY2027 Missouri State Budget, which includes funding for domestic and sexual violence survivors and service providers.
Before the legislative session ended, the General Assembly restored $1 million in Domestic Violence Shelter & Services (DVSS) funding and included $9 million in Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding in the state budget.
In the last five years, there has been an 87% increase in unmet needs from survivors of domestic violence seeking services. While funding has continued to decrease for many agencies, both the requests for services and the costs to provide those services have increased significantly.
For the past four years, Missouri’s Governors and Legislative Budget Committees have supported the VOCA fund and victim service providers through allocation of state general revenues. These funds preserved services and allowed victims to fully participate in the criminal justice process as they exercise their constitutional rights.
A reduction in funding would mean longer waitlists, reduced overnight and weekday coverage, and delayed responses to survivors in crisis. Reduction in funds would be especially problematic for rural service providers, likely resulting in agency closures.
Here's how you can help: Call Governor Mike Kehoe at (573) 751-3222 and request that he maintain the Domestic Violence Shelter Services (DVSS), Sexual Violence Shelter Services (SVSS), and Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding as approved by the General Assembly. Without this funding, services for survivors will suffer.
