For Release: Wednesday, November 9, 2005
Contact: David Gillies: 202-225-5661

PROVIDENT COUNSELING RECEIVES FEDERAL FUNDS

Washington - U.S. Congressman Jerry Costello (D-IL) announced today that he helped secure $100,000 for Provident Counseling as part of the final version of the Science-State-Justice-Commerce Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2006.  The legislation will next be considered by the Senate and is expected to be signed into law in the near future.

Provident Counseling will use the funds to expand the Families for Safe Environments (FFSE) program to school districts in Madison and St. Clair Counties.  The FFSE program helps children in families affected by domestic violence by assisting parents in developing specific, new parenting methods as alternatives to the use of physical, emotional and verbal abuse of their children.

"As the budget reconciliation bill we will vote on tomorrow continues to demonstrate, fewer and fewer federal resources are going toward important domestic needs, such as mental health services and domestic violence and child abuse prevention," said Costello.  "This program helps protect children and leads to healthier families."

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