Stanislaus County supervisors on Tuesday approved an $887,991 increase to the District Attorney’s Victim Services Program budget after receiving a new grant award from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

The item was adopted without discussion as part of the Board of Supervisors’ consent calendar.

The funding — which covers Fiscal Year 2026 and Budget Year 2027 — supports the county’s Victim/Witness Assistance Program, the primary grant that pays for mandated services provided to crime victims across Stanislaus County. The Board also directed the Auditor-Controller to adjust revenue and appropriations to reflect the award.

The District Attorney’s Victim Services Unit, staffed by 13 victim advocates, two supervisors, a program manager and a legal clerk, provides crisis intervention, court accompaniment, compensation assistance, restitution support, emergency aid, and other services required under state law. In 2025, the unit served 14,103 victims and delivered more than 81,000 individual services, including to more than 10,000 first‑time clients.

The newly approved funding includes $453,148 in federal Victims of Crime Act dollars, $83,111 from the State Penalty Fund and $351,732 in one‑time state general fund support intended to offset federal VOCA reductions. The total award is about $40,000 less than the prior year, but the District Attorney’s Office said the shortfall can be absorbed due to savings from a recent vacancy. Without those savings, the department noted it would have reduced training expenses to maintain staffing levels.

The grant will continue to fund two victim advocate supervisors, five advocate positions — equal to 4.75 full‑time equivalents in FY 2026 — a legal clerk, overtime, training, outreach materials, emergency assistance and vehicle maintenance.

The Victim Services Unit maintains operational agreements with local police departments, the Sheriff’s Office, the CAIRE Center, HAVEN, Catholic Charities, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, the Stanislaus Family Justice Center and other partner agencies. Those agreements remain in effect through December 2027.

County officials said the budget action aligns with the Board’s priority of supporting a strong and safe community. The grant carries no impact to the county’s General Fund. Positions funded through the program will remain in place only for the duration of the grant and any extensions.