From nola.com

Stronger support for domestic violence victims helps them to escape abusive and potentially deadly relationships, but it also can make the community safer by breaking multi-generational cycles of violence. It's important, then, for New Orleans to continue efforts to make resources readily available to victims and to improve police effectiveness in handling such cases.

The New Orleans Family Justice Center, which was created in 2007 with a $3 million federal grant, has helped 2,000 victims and their children by providing all the services they need under one roof. For example, a domestic violence victim might need a restraining order and counseling as well as help with housing and child care. 

For that model to work, it's important for victims to find everything they need in one place. But center officials say they have outgrown the current location at 830 Julia Street and are now using two buildings, which isn't ideal. 

By Laura Maggi

When the Family Justice Center opened in 2007, the idea was simple: locate all the services a victim of domestic violence might need under one roof.

Semeko Cox, right, a domestic violence counselor, and Misty Miller-Frye, center, an interdiction specialist, discuss a domestic survivor's case at the Family Justice Center in New Orleans in October.

Since then, the fledgling center has helped protect more than 2,000 abuse victims and their children by giving them immediate access to police, legal advocates, sexual abuse experts and counselors. Organizers have won national praise, even landing a visit to the White House.

Now, the center's proponents are asking Mayor Mitch Landrieu for help in making the project a permanent fixture in New Orleans.