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Sarasota News Leader November 22, 2013 Page 77 SARASOTA COUNTY AWARDED $400,000 SAFE HAVENS GRANT The U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) has approved the Sarasota County Government application for funding the community Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Grant Program in the amount of $400,000 over a three-year period, the county has announced. Center's Children and Families Supervised Visitation Program will handle the direct supervised visitation service and day-to-day operations. The 12th Judicial Court will critically review, revise and establish "practices to protect the adult victims and children of domestic violence," the release adds. SPARCC will provide training designed to teach people how to handle domestic violence issues, sexual assault, child abuse, dating violence and stalking, the release points out. Additionally, "[a] victim advocate will give support to victims of domestic violence and provide referrals to other agencies." "The Child Protection Center Inc., the 12th Judicial Circuit Court and the Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center (SPARCC) will join Sarasota County Government to form a community collaboration to keep children and adult victims safe through supervised visitations and exchanges with families who have experienced domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, child abuse and "We are excited about the opportunity to utilize the Safe Havens model and formalize a stalking," a news release says. clear community response to domestic vio"This opportunity will allow us to view the lence," said Sheila Miller, program director problems through a diverse lens, address for the Child Protection Center's Children existing systems and improve responses and Family Supervised Visitation Program, in while creating a partnership and coordination the release. "Sarasota County will have a colamong community entities in order to ensure laborative force in fighting domestic violence, continuity of services to protect victims of instead of four individual agencies striving to domestic violence," said Doug Staley, exec- address a complex, community issue." utive director of the Child Protection Center, SPARCC CEO and President Olivia Thomas in the release. added in the release, "SPARCC is looking for"Sarasota County Government will serve as ward to working with our community partners the coordinator for fiscal and programmatic to implement best practices in supervised visaspects of the project, ensuring compliance itation cases where the safety of primary and with statutory and mandatory requirements," secondary victims of domestic violence is at the release continues. Child Protection the forefront." SCHOOL BOARD RE-ELECTS JANE GOODWIN AS CHAIRWOMAN The School Board of Sarasota County has re-elected Jane Goodwin as chairwoman for an additional one-year term, the school district has announced. rotates each November among the five members, who have the option of re-electing a chair for another term, a news release notes. Frank Kovach was elected vice chairman. Goodwin has served as chairwoman since The decisions were made during the School November 2012. Chairmanship of the board Board's annual reorganization meeting on