Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence, ME
The Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence (MCEDV) serves its network of ten members throughout the state, helping them do the very best work they can for survivors of abuse. MCEDV also provides support for state level partners as they respond to abuse, create frameworks to inform the public’s understanding of the issue, and advocate for policies that will hold abusive people to account and keep survivors safe.
MCEDV will engage in two projects: 1) Develop and pilot a survivor-centric, evidence-informed, bimodal parenting program called the “Safe and Accountable Family Education” (SAFE) program that will support families affected by domestic abuse and violence as they navigate Maine’s family courts. The SAFE Program will meet a need Maine has identified for parenting education which does not create co-parenting expectations, specifically for families where one parent has been abused by the other parent; both parents are likely to play an ongoing parenting role for their child(ren), and co-parenting strategies are not safe or appropriate. 2) Develop and launch Maine’s first pre- petition legal representation program, contracting with a small pool of private attorneys with expertise in advocating on behalf of survivors of domestic abuse and violence to represent victim/survivor parents with their legal needs during the early stages of Maine’s child welfare system involvement with the family. MCEDV’s Program Coordinator will screen referrals and make arrangements for representation. Eligible parents will live in either Androscoggin or Aroostook County, two counties with significantly higher than average child removal rates.
MCEDV offers training, consultation, and technical assistance to statewide and multi-regional entities, seeking to improve their responses to domestic abuse.
MCEDV strives to bring the voices of survivors to discussions of public policy, and to center its solutions on those most impacted by abuse.
MCEDV engages in collaborative initiatives that further its mission and address the root causes of abuse.
