July 14, 2025

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – The Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) today announced the availability of over $2 million in funding each fiscal year to help victim service agencies meet the needs of human trafficking survivors.

The Direct Services for Victims of Human Trafficking Grant Program was launched in 2023. The grant program aims to help serve the growing number of sex and labor trafficking victims in need of support.

Services funded through the program include but are not limited to victim advocacy, mental health services, education and employment support, and shelter/housing programs.

The grant program was developed in partnership with the Ohio General Assembly and funded for the first time in Ohio’s previous two-year operating budget. The operating budget for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 continued funding for this program.

The funding for this specific initiative builds on the DeWine administration’s historic investment dedicated to combating human trafficking in Ohio’s last two-year operating budget.

Nonprofit organizations that provide direct support to victims of trafficking and/or those considered at high risk of trafficking are eligible for grant funding. Priority consideration will be awarded to applicants who demonstrate evidence-based and survivor-informed programming.

Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Aug. 11. An online bidder’s training for potential recipients applying for these grants will take place from 10-11:30 a.m. on July 24.

OCJS is a division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. By statute, OCJS is the lead justice planning and assistance office for the state, administering millions of dollars in state and federal criminal justice funding every year. OCJS also evaluates programs and products, develops training, resources, and recommends best practices for criminal justice professionals and communities.