Domestic Violence Coordinating Council

We’re hiring for a Training and Education Specialist II! The posting will be active until at least June 3rd. We’re happy to answer questions about the position!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. There are many intersections between mental health and intimate partner violence, at times at the root of the issue for those who harm their partners, and frequently in terms of the mental health impacts on victim/survivors and children who witness IPV. Follow and for general resources and information about positive mental health. Check out CHILD, Inc. and for domestic violence specific services in Delaware. [Image in the shape of a human head but filled with flowers to represent positive mental health.]

Our PSA about the LINK between animal abuse and abuse of humans is going to be featured on The Monthly Purpose live show next Thursday 5/21 at 6:30pm! Tune in or watch the video after on their YouTube channel! Thank you, The CAUSE Production Crew, for all your work on the video and for the feature!!

💜 Every step tells a survivor: you are not alone.

On May 17th, join us in the Race Against Domestic Violence 5K Run/Walk - a powerful day where our community comes together to walk, run, stand up, speak out, and support children and families impacted by domestic violence.

At CHILD, Inc., we see the courage it takes to rebuild. We see the lives changed when someone chooses to step in and help.

Join us to be part of that change!

👟 Walk. Run. Show up.
Because every registration helps provide safety, support, and hope to those who need it most.

📍 Newark, DE | Autumn Arch Beer Project
⏰ Race starts at 9:00 AM

👉 Register now and make your steps matter:
https://childinc.com/events

Bring your friends. Form a team. Be the reason someone finds strength again.



Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS)

Thank you Rep. Krista Griffith, Sen. Laura Sturgeon, Rep. Cyndie Romer, Sen. Kyra Hoffner, and Sen. Cruce for sponsoring and supporting HB197!

The Domestic Violence Coordinating Council released the following sobering statistics:

~Stalking is one of the top ten risk factors for intimate partner homicide, with the presence of stalking increasing threefold the chances of homicide.

~Reported stalking is the most common reason an eventual homicide victim interacts with the criminal justice system.

~31% of women stalked by an intimate partner have also been sexually assaulted by that partner.

~Women stalked by a violent partner after obtaining a protective order were 9.3 times more likely to experience sexual assault than women with protective orders who were not stalked.

Because of this, I was motivated to join Representative Krista Griffith's House bill 197 as the Senate prime sponsor. This bill strengthens protections against stalking by clarifying the definition of "course of conduct" and increases penalties to match the severity of the crime.

The bill passed the Senate unanimously yesterday and is now on its way to the Governor's desk for his signature.

Thank you to State Prosecutor Abby Rodgers and Deputy Attorney General Jenna Milecki, Unit Head of the Domestic Violence Unit of the DOJ, for your hard work and advocacy around this issue.

The 2026 Field-Generated National Crime Victims’ Rights Week ( ) is a celebration of CommUNITY, where partners across the nation stand side by side to uplift dignity, safety, and healing. Today in Delaware, partners from throughout the state stood side by side to uplift and highlight the needs of survivors, of victim service agencies, and of advocates.

Since the first posted Fatal Incident Review Team report in 2001, right up through the 2026 report, gun violence has consistently been the leading cause of death in domestic violence fatalities in Delaware. Thank you Rep. Krista Griffith for sponsoring HB342 to ensure that persons prohibited from owning fi****ms in other states due to protective orders are no longer able to purchase them in Delaware.

The horrific slaying of eight children in Louisiana by domestic shooting is a stark reminder of the direct link between access to fi****ms and fatal incidents of domestic violence.

In Delaware, we have made great strides in updating the law related to Protection from Abuse Orders including last week when the Judiciary Committee released my HB 342 so it may be heard on the House floor.

HB 342 closes a dangerous loophole in the PFA law by clarifying Delaware will recognize PFA orders from all judges in different states. The current laws limits it to "Family Court," which has created confusion.

Thank you to the Delaware State Police for flagging this issue after a man from Maryland under a PFA order crossed state lines to purchase a gun in Delaware.

The presence of a gun in DV situations increases the risk of homicide for women and children by 500 percent. Female intimate partners are more likely to be killed with a firearm than all other means combined.

For children under age 13 who are victims of gun homicide, 85% of those deaths occur in the home, and nearly 1/3 are connected to intimate partner or family violence. Data drawn from 16 states showed that nearly 2/3 of child fatalities involving DV were caused by guns.

Thank you so much to advocates from Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, Moms Demand Action - DE and Coalition for a Safer Delaware for your supportive comments during the hearing! A special shoutout to Anne McWalter, my constituent who serves as volunteer chapter lead for Delaware, for her years' long efforts to reduce gun violence in Delaware.

Congratulations to Zainab Shah of who is this year’s Visionary Voice Award Winner designated by ! Welcome to the new ED of DAASV, Alexia Tomlinson! Thank you Governor for the 2026 Proclamation Signing!