GEORGETOWN, Del. — Delaware is set to establish its first Family Justice Centers with the help of $2.6 million in federal funding announced Wednesday.
U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., highlighted the federal investment during a visit to the future Family Justice Center site at the Stockley Center Campus in Georgetown.
The centers will bring multiple services for survivors of domestic violence and related crimes together in one location, including legal assistance, counseling, law enforcement support and advocacy.
“Survivors shouldn’t have to recount their stories over and over,” McBride said. “Family Justice Centers deliver a centralized hub where safety, resources, and services come together for neighbors in crisis.”
McBride said the centers will make it easier for survivors to access the help they need without having to navigate multiple agencies.
“By providing these great life saving and life changing services all under one roof, it will allow a working mom or a survivor of human trafficking to come here for that one stop shop,” McBride said.
The Georgetown center will be located at the Sussex Stockley Center, where an underutilized state facility will be repurposed to house the new services.
The $2.6 million will support the Georgetown location as well as two additional Family Justice Centers in New Castle County.
Family Justice Centers are designed to provide coordinated, survivor-centered services in a single, accessible location. The model is intended to reduce barriers for survivors, improve safety and limit the need for victims to repeatedly recount traumatic experiences to different agencies.
“This is a monumental moment for Delaware and for survivors across our state,” said Emella Kamara, executive director of the Delaware Family Justice Centers. “This investment is more than funding for a building, it’s an investment in safety, healing, and hope.”
McBride secured the funding through the federal Community Project Funding process. She said the effort was made possible through work with federal, state and local partners, including Senators Chris Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester.
