Duluth Domestic Violence Prevention Program Goes National

Press Release

Duluth Domestic Violence Prevention Program Goes National

A groundbreaking Duluth-based program to prevent domestic violence is about to become a national model. Today, Congressman Jim Oberstar announced that the Duluth Family Visitation Center which is operated by Minnesota Program Development Incorporated (MPDI) has been awarded a $200,000 federal grant to provide training and technical assistance to domestic violence prevention programs across the country.

MPDI operates a visitation center for families with histories of domestic violence. It provides a safe setting for parents to visit their children. Women and children who are victims of domestic violence are often at the greatest risk when the non-custodial parent sees the child for a court-ordered visit.
The Duluth visitation center was one of the first facilities in the nation to develop an approach to defuse this tense situation. In the 18 years it has operated, many visitation centers across the nation have used this program as a template. "With this grant, we will be using nearly two decades of local experience to help visitation centers across the nation ensure the safety of women and children victimized by domestic violence and help fathers break their pattern of abusive behaviors," said Phil Beadle, program director of the Duluth Family Visitation Center.

"The people at MPDI have led the nation in intervention and prevention efforts focusing on domestic violence," said Oberstar. "In the early 80s, they pioneered the practice of mandatory arrest of offenders by police officers called to the scene of a domestic assault. They continue to work for victim safety through their visitation center. MPDI's work has saved countless lives, and I am proud to see them sharing that knowledge with other programs across the country."

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