Our Mission

The Domestic Abuse Project of Delaware County, Inc. (DAP) seeks to prevent domestic violence and is committed to providing services that meet the needs of victims. DAP supports an empowerment process, which enables victims to move toward self-sufficiency.

Our History

DAP was founded in 1976 as part of a grass-roots effort to provide safety, advocacy and supportive services not otherwise available within Delaware County to victims of domestic violence. Exclusively volunteer-driven at its inception, DAP initially offered crisis intervention and support via a 24-hour hotline. The Agency was formally incorporated as a non-profit 501(3)(c) in 1977 and expanded into two offices, one in Media, PA and another in the City of Chester, PA. This expansion allowed the Agency to broaden its outreach and increase its core services to include counseling, support groups and civil court accompaniment.

While volunteerism has remained central to the Agency's functioning since its foundation, the organization has witnessed a gradual increase in professional staff and considerable expansion of services in its 29 years of operation.

In 1984 DAP began offering short-term emergency housing through a shelter facility. This service formalized a practice that previously had been provided informally through private homes. Prior to establishing a designated site for such services, volunteers took at-risk women and children into their own homes for temporary shelter. DAP continues to offer 30 days of emergency shelter and can house up to 24 women and dependent children.

Each year, DAP provides services to more than 5,000 residents of Delaware County. All services are free, including free representation in Protection from Abuse Hearings. DAP remains the sole provider of these services throughout the 49 townships and boroughs of Delaware County.