By Jim Hagerty
Reporter

ROCKFORD — Rockford officials will host a forum about the status of Mayor Tom McNamara’s progress on opening the Family Justice Center at 6:30 p.m., tonight at Unitarian Universalist Church, 4848 Turner St.

The public is invited to hear more from McNamara, Mayor’s Office of Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking Prevention Jennifer Cacciapaglia, Retired Judge Rosemary Collins and Program Manager Sierra Kellen.

The Family Justice Center will be a centralized and trauma informed facility, where specialized organizations will work together so survivors and their children may safely and more easily access the services they need.

The model for the center has been identified as a best practice in the field of domestic violence intervention and prevention services by the United States Department of Justice. Family justice centers are multi-agency, multidisciplinary co-located service centers that provide services to victims of interpersonal violence including, intimate partner violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder or dependent adult abuse, and human trafficking.

The city received a federal grant of $449,870, the city says will help open the Family Justice Center this year. R.