Cobb County opened the family advocacy center last week to provide support and resources for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, abuse, stalking and human trafficking.
The center will provide access to the comprehensive resources victims need in one place, including law enforcement, legal aid, and nonprofit supports. The goal is to “provide a seamless process for victims and families as they navigate getting the assistance they need without having to recount their abuse numerous times.”
The center will be the first of its kind in Georgia. It is very much needed in Cobb, where the the number of protective order cases has doubled since the pandemic, Magistrate Court Judge Brendan Murphy said.
District Attorney Flynn Broady has championed the project since his 2020 election. The DA’s office had been pursuing funding for the center before he took over, but the center’s purpose is personal to Broady.
“I grew up in a home with domestic violence, and I wanted to understand why my mother never reported it, never tried to get away,” Broady said. “We knew we had to find a way to get people help.”
Credit: Cobb County
Credit: Cobb County
Earlier this year, the Board of Commissioners allocated nearly $460,000 for the center, and the DA’s office also received a $400,000 federal grant back in 2020.
The family advocacy center will connect several governmental and law enforcement agencies alongside community partners, including Cobb Collaborative, LiveSAFE Resources, SafePath Children’s Advocacy Center, Legal Aid of Cobb County, and others.
“To all the survivors, the families affected by domestic violence, I say welcome home,” Murphy said. “Welcome to a place that will be for restoration, will be for hope, will be for healing, and will be for justice.”
The center is located at 277 Fairground Street in Marietta. Watch the county’s ribbon cutting ceremony here.
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