Partnership Breaks Ground on Chattanooga Rape Crisis Center
The new center will replace a facility with one exam room and expand forensic capacity, with an expected 2027 opening.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Sex Crimes
Partnership for Families, Children and Adults broke ground Monday on a new Rape Crisis Center in Chattanooga. The facility will offer double the examination capacity of the original center and free mental health counseling.
Why it matters
Demand for sexual assault services has grown, and the original center had only one waiting room and one medical forensic examination room. Relocating to a shared facility brings advocacy, forensic, law enforcement and support services together in one place.
Partnership conducted 122 forensic exams in 2025 and has seen a 27% increase in exam volume over the last three years. The new center is expected to open in 2027, and the timeline for the relocation of current services has not been detailed.
The players
Partnership for Families, Children and Adults
A Chattanooga-area nonprofit that operates the Rape Crisis Center and related family and child advocacy services in Hamilton County.
The details
The new Rape Crisis Center will be located at the Dr. Carol B. Berz Family Justice Center at 5705 Uptain Road and will include a Children's Advocacy Center serving those under 13 who experience sexual assault. The move follows an October 1 change extending the DNA evidence collection period for sexual assault cases from five days to 10 days.
Timeline
October 1: DNA evidence collection period extended from five to 10 days
Monday, November 2, 2026: Groundbreaking held in Chattanooga
2027: New Rape Crisis Center expected to open
Seasonal Patterns
Tennessee ranks 10th in the nation per capita for domestic violence and sixth for domestic violence resulting in death, a backdrop against which local sexual assault service capacity is being expanded. The relocation addresses a rising caseload rather than a one-time spike in demand.
Survivors in Chattanooga and Hamilton County will have access to a larger forensic examination space and free mental health counseling once the center opens. The extended 10-day DNA evidence window gives survivors more time to seek a forensic exam after an assault.
The takeaway
Longer DNA evidence windows and expanded exam capacity both lower the barriers survivors face in reporting and receiving care. Anyone in Chattanooga who needs support can reach the Rape Crisis Center through its current services until the move is complete.
What happens next
The new Rape Crisis Center is expected to open in 2027, when the relocation to the Dr. Carol B. Berz Family Justice Center is scheduled to be completed.
Further reading
For more on the local response to sexual violence, see Sex Crimes coverage for Chattanooga.
