SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Representatives from southwest Minnesota victim service organizations traveled to the State Capitol this week to support additional funding for crime victim services.
Becci ten Bensel, executive director of WoMen’s Rural Advocacy Programs (WRAP), and Sarah Reynolds, executive director of Child’s Place, testified Tuesday before the Minnesota House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee. The hearing focused on a proposed $12 million investment as federal Victims of Crime Act funding continues to decline.
Advocates told lawmakers demand for services is rising while funding has become less predictable, creating added pressure for programs, especially in rural areas.
“Programs like ours are not optional. They are lifelines,” ten Bensel said. “In rural Minnesota, services are limited and systems are already stretched. When funding is reduced, it impacts the entire network of support that individuals rely on.”
Reynolds said continued funding is critical for children and families who rely on Children’s Advocacy Centers.
“If we do not secure funding, children in our communities lose their safe place,” Reynolds said. “This funding is about maintaining the response that already exists and ensuring someone is there to help when a child speaks up.”
In fiscal year 2025, WRAP served 928 individuals, responded to 2,535 crisis calls, and logged more than 26,000 miles of mobile advocacy across Lincoln, Lyon, Redwood, and Yellow Medicine counties. Child’s Place served 177 children and caregivers, including 84 forensic interviews and 954 advocacy services.
Both organizations said stable funding is needed to prevent service gaps in rural Minnesota.
