“That’s why, today, I am proud to announce a series of grants to organizations that offer mentoring programs specifically targeting children with a parent in the military,” said Attorney General Holder.

Today at the national conference of the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli announced the establishment of the Attorney General’s National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence.

Every day children across America are exposed to violence in their homes, in their schools, and in their communities. To better understand the nature and extent of the problem, the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to sponsor the National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence.

Attorney General Eric Holder today officially unveiled Defending Childhood, a new Department of Justice initiative focused on addressing children’s exposure to violence.

More information on the $5.5 Million in Grants Awarded for the First Phase of Initiative