The Domestic Violence Coordinating Council (DVCC) is exploring the feasibility of a family justice center model in Delaware.

A Family Justice Center provides one place for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse to receive the life-saving services currently available in their community from both non-profit and governmental agencies. The FJC model creates a collaborative family-friendly, victim-centered, trauma-informed, hope-centered environment in which a multi-disciplinary team of professionals works together in one, centralized location to provide coordinated services to victims of family violence. These Centers co-locate, coordinate, and integrate services so that victims and their children travel to fewer places and tell their stories fewer times. The framework brings the services together for victims and their children, allowing them to go to one place for all their services and creating a community for survivors long after the crisis is over.

The Family Justice Center model is identified as a best practice in the field of domestic violence intervention and prevention services by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER STEERING COMMITTEE

In September of 2021, the DVCC established the Family Justice Center Steering Committee to explore the feasibility, impacts, and the steps needed to establish one, or more, Family Justice Centers to support victims of interpersonal violence. We have contracted the Family Justice Center Alliance (Alliance), a program of the Alliance for HOPE International, for their expertise, consultation, and technical assistance to guide us.

The DVCC was awarded funds through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to support this strategic planning initiative.

STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS

• STUDY TOUR: The Technical Assistance Team from the Alliance came to Delaware on April 26-28, 2022, for a study tour of Delaware.  During those three days, we held a virtual community forum, small meetings with stakeholders, and focus groups with survivors. The Team also performed court observations and tours of the Family Courts, emergency domestic violence shelters, and the Children’s Advocacy Center.
  • For more details, watch the video: Virtual Community Forum held on April 26, 2022
• STUDY TOUR REPORT: The Alliance submitted its report for Delaware with several recommendations on June 10, 2022.  According to the Alliance, “Delaware is well-positioned to be the first statewide Family Justice Center framework.”
  • Delaware Statewide Initiative Study Tour Report (2022)
• STRATEGIC PLANNING EVENT: The Technical Assistance Team from the Alliance returned to Delaware for a two-day strategic planning event on October 17th & 18th to lead us in the development of a shared mission and vision of a statewide framework for a Family Justice Center.   The DVCC’s FJC Steering Committee developed workgroups to focus on the following:
  1. Governance and Facilities
  2. Funding and Sustainability
  3. Service Delivery and Operations
  4. Community Engagement, Outreach and Volunteers
  5. Law Enforcement
  6. Research, Data and Evaluation
• FJC STRATEGIC PLANNING REPORT:  Read about the Strategic Planning Event that took place Oct 17 & 18, 2022 in the Strategic Planning Report.
• FJC Visioning Session Report:  Read about the Visioning Sessions held with Kent and Sussex County stakeholders on June 2, 2023 and with New Castle County stakeholders on June 9, 2023.