On Wednesday, June 24, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) visited Network of Victim Assistance (NOVA) to highlight how investments under the Shapiro Administration have strengthened NOVA’s ability to help victims and survivors of crime have access to the resources they need to heal and rebuild their lives.
Since taking office, the Shapiro Administration has prioritized supporting victims and survivors in the aftermath of crime through increasing support for PCCD’s Victims Compensation Assistance Program (VCAP), a critical lifeline that helps with victim-related expenses. Governor Shapiro secured $5 millionin the 2024-25 budget and an additional $9 millionin the 2025-26 budget to help stabilize VCAP. The Governor’s 2026-27 budget proposes an increase of the current revenue source by nearly 50 percent to help ensure victims continue receiving the support they need.
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“Victim services programs like NOVA provide essential support for people during some of the darkest moments of their lives,” said Kathy Buckley, Director of PCCD’s Office of Victims’ Services. “Whether the victim or survivor is a child or an adult, these programs offer safety, guidance, and compassion at a time when individuals often feel overwhelmed, afraid, and unsure of where else to turn. The program here at NOVA is a perfect example of how state and federal resources are being used to not only support survivors but also strengthen families, promote community safety, and prevent future violence.”
NOVA is a comprehensive victim service agency that supports survivors of all crimes, including children who have been sexually abused and survivors of human trafficking and sexual assault. In FY 2025, NOVA helped over 3,700 victims of crime in Bucks County including filing for financial compensation through VCAP, counseling, victim advocacy, accompaniment to court proceedings, hospital visits, police interviews, and other services.
“Through the Victims Compensation Assistance Program, survivors are able to access critical financial support at a time when the impact of crime can feel overwhelming,” said Penelope Ettinger, Executive Director of NOVA. “NOVA advocates work directly with victims and survivors to guide them through the VCAP application process, helping them understand their options and complete claims with care and compassion. By removing barriers to accessing financial resources, VCAP allows individuals to focus on their safety, healing, and recovery. This funding is a vital part of ensuring that no one has to navigate the aftermath of crime alone.”
As the county’s Children’s Advocacy Center, NOVA provides a coordinated, child-focused response to abuse cases, including forensic interviews, counseling referrals, and support for investigations. With PCCD funding, Bucks NOVA also delivers evidence-based prevention programs — Safe Touches and Smarter Parents, Safer Kids — to help children and families recognize and prevent child sexual abuse. To date, 4,442 children and 66 caregivers in the county have received the prevention programming.
NOVA also leads the county’s STOP Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) program, a coordinated community response that brings together law enforcement, prosecutors, the courts, and victim service providers. This unified approach strengthens support for victims of violence against women throughout the legal process and ensures they receive comprehensive care and access to justice.
Credit: Lower Bucks Hospital
Recognizing that strangulation is one of the strongest predictors of future lethal violence in domestic violence and intimate partner violence (IPV) cases, using federal PCCD funds, NOVA has expanded STOP services to include specialized forensic exams for victims of nonfatal strangulation. Trained forensic nurses now provide clinical assessments, injury documentation, imaging, safety planning, and referrals—enhancing the county’s response to intimate partner violence and helping prevent future harm.
Credit: Jeff Bohen, Lower Bucks Source
Keystone Crisis Intervention Team (KCIT) is a statewide crisis response project offered through NOVA with funding from PCCD. Upon request, KCIT supports crime victims and communities in their recovery from large-scale traumatic incidents of targeted mass violence in schools, universities, or workplaces, bank robberies, arson, and other criminal incidents in which several individuals were victimized or present. KCIT responds by assessing the impact of the event on the community, developing an intervention plan, and providing crisis intervention by professionally trained volunteer teams. Since its inception in 2000, KCIT has provided crisis intervention services to over 13,000 victims of crime in more than 50 Pennsylvania communities.
Each year, PCCD receives an average of 12,000 VCAP claims for reimbursement of eligible expenses, including medical and counseling services, lost income or support, stolen cash, relocation, funeral costs, crime scene cleanup, and more. Since taking office, the Shapiro-Davis Administration has paid more than $49 million for over 20,000 claims statewide and more than $1 million for over 500 claims in Bucks County.
To learn more about how PCCD supports victim service programs, victims of crime, and VCAP, visit the PCCD website.
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