The Finance, Audit and Budget Committee voted to approve two no-cost lease/facility-use agreements that keep partner victim-services organizations at the Family Protection Center in DeKalb County's fire headquarters building.

Madam District Attorney Sherry Boston described the Family Protection Center and asked the committee to renew the earlier agreements. "The Family Protection Center is located at 1950 West Exchange Place on the First Floor of the fire headquarters," Boston said. She described the center as a centralized location where victims of certain crimes can receive assistance from law enforcement agencies and nonprofit partners, including child forensic interviews, SANE (sexual assault nurse examiner) examinations, counseling and crisis intervention.

Boston told the committee the Family Protection Center has been operating in its current location since about 2014'2015 and that the county and partners entered a memorandum of understanding in 2015 to formalize operations. The Board authorized a five-year lease for the occupants in October 2020; the administration now asked the committee to renew no-cost leases to reflect a change in service provider: Women Moving On, doing business as the Women's Resource Center, assumed operations previously run by Day League as of 2024.

Boston said the county owns the space and that Facilities Management handles upkeep. She recounted a sewer line failure that forced the Family Protection Center to close for roughly four to five months while county-led remediation and insurance repairs took place; during that period, DeKalb victims were redirected to Fulton County or other provider sites.

Boston said the space is set up for 24-hour SANE exams coordinated through the center's hotline. "So it's a 24 hour process where it's open 24 hours. They contact our hotline, run through WRC now, and a a nurse examiner will meet any victim at the location to perform that SANE examination," she said.

Committee action
Commissioner Shakira Johnson moved approval of items 13-25 and 13-26, and Commissioner Ted Terry seconded. The chair called the question and recorded aye votes; the motion carried. The committee's approval will move the lease renewals to the Board for final action at the Board's next voting meeting.

Why this matters
Committee members said the Family Protection Center provides centralized, coordinated services that are important to victims and to investigative continuity. Committee members and the DA's office highlighted the operational benefits of keeping specialized services in one centrally located facility near police and fire headquarters.

Ending
Committee members asked the DA and Facilities Management to keep the Board informed about any future maintenance or service interruptions and confirmed that partner organizations remain responsible for specialized equipment and clinical supplies in the leased spaces.