MERIT announces plans to co-locate with the Family Peace Center
MERIT announces plans to co-locate with the Family Peace Center
The University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford established the Medical Evaluation Response Intervention Team (MERIT) in 2008 as a response to the issue of child abuse and neglect in Winnebago County. Today, MERIT serves 13 counties and about 400 children in northern Illinois each year. Currently located on North Rockton Avenue in Rockford, MERIT has announced plans at a news conference Tuesday, March 3, to co-locate with the Family Peace Center, further strengthening the local network of collaboration and support for children, youth, and adults facing abuse and domestic violence.
“We are delighted that MERIT, which provides crucial services to survivors of childhood abuse and neglect, will soon have an expanded space that will allow enhanced collaboration with other agencies focused on domestic violence prevention and the coordinated provision of services to those affected by it,” says Alex Stagnaro-Green, regional dean of the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford.
A child-centered, community-based program, MERIT is dedicated to providing all children suspected of being physically or sexually abused or neglected with timely, expert medical evaluations and treatment. MERIT also serves the community as a resource for prevention, research and education, providing training to law enforcement, medical professionals, and others on how to prevent child abuse/neglect and care for victims.
The Family Peace Center, currently located at 315 N. Main St., in Rockford, is in the process of renovating the existing building at 214 N. Church St., also in Rockford, to be its larger, future home. The new facility will offer significantly more space for the FPC and partner agencies, including MERIT, Carrie Lynn Children’s Center, and local law enforcement, to support children, adults, and families facing violence and abuse. The new location is anticipated to open in spring 2027.
“Co-location has long been considered best practice for domestic and child abuse services,” says Jennifer Cacciapaglia, executive director of the Family Peace Center. “Bringing MERIT’s medical expertise and authority in the realm of child abuse prevention under the same roof as the FPC will strengthen the local strategy to decrease community violence. Since our inception we have counted MERIT as a partner, and we will be thrilled to welcome them in our future home.”
For more information about the capital campaign for the FPC’s future home, visit https://buildhopehere.com.