Women's Center, The

Founded in 1977, The Women’s Center serves all impacted by domestic abuse, sexual violence, child abuse, and trafficking. As Waukesha County’s only agency of its kind in a county that spans 580 square miles, we provide a range of life-saving and life-changing programs and services that heal and empower adults and children on their paths to build a future free from violence.

Our mission is to provide safety, shelter, and support to empower all impacted by domestic abuse, sexual violence, child abuse, and trafficking.

The services we offer include emergency shelter and 24-Hour Hotline, one-on-one domestic violence and sexual abuse support, legal advocacy, transitional living and housing assistance, community education and violence prevention, rape crisis response, employment coaching and life-skills development, translation/interpretation in any language, and free on-site childcare for clients.

The Women's Center provides a variety of programs and services, which include:

24-Hour Hotline: 262.542.3828

We operate a 24-hour Hotline to provide emotional support and resources about our programs and services. This confidential resource offers crisis intervention, safety planning, general support, and information and referrals to survivors, their friends and families, other service providers, and the general public.

Emergency Shelter

Our Emergency Shelter – open 24 hours a day, seven days a week – provides adults and their children a safe place to stay. We provide residents with food, clothing, vouchers, transportation, translation, interpretation in any language, and other necessities.

Transitional Living

Clients who need subsidized housing, ongoing case management, or time to locate permanent, safe, and affordable housing may enter transitional living. Clients can live in these units for up to two years to rebuild credit scores, explore and engage in education opportunities, stabilize employment, enroll children in school or daycare, and receive all the necessary resources they require to start their lives independent of their abuser or trafficker.

One-on-One Support & Advocacy

Advocates help survivors process their trauma through individual advocacy, providing a confidential environment where clients can share their experiences without judgment and receive reassurance, encouragement, and guidance. They work with individuals and families to develop boundaries, practice coping skills, identify supports, and access additional resources. We can also provide advocacy within legal, housing, healthcare, and other systems for holistic support.

The Child Advocacy Center

The C.A.R.E. Center provides recorded forensic interviews and family advocacy to any child victim ages 0-17 and adults with a developmental disability who are victims of neglect, witnesses to domestic violence, sexual abuse, physical abuse, drug endangerment, trafficking, bullying, child pornography, homicide, and/or adult sexual assault.

Rapid Rehousing Program

Through this program, we work to quickly respond to the housing needs of domestic violence survivors, advocate for and assist them in working towards housing stability, and provide them with the advocacy and resources necessary to remove any housing barriers.

Support Groups & Workshops

TWC hosts multiple ongoing support groups where clients share experiences in a safe and non-judgmental space while connecting with other survivors. Qualified facilitators work with clients to help them understand their trauma, process their feelings, and continue healing. We also offer skills-based workshops throughout the year, which focus on different areas of concern, such as staying safe online, how to financially separate from an abuser, as well as physical safety tips and skills around transportation.  

Substance Use & Mental Health Support

Clients struggling with alcohol and other substance use challenges or who are experiencing mental health concerns can meet with our substance use and mental health consultant for individual support, check-ins, and referrals.   

Onsite Childcare & Children’s Programs

The Women’s Center offers advocacy and support groups for children and teens who have witnessed family violence or who have been the victim of sexual abuse or assault. We provide safe spaces for them to express their feelings, receive support, and build resiliency as they grow. We have dedicated Youth Advocates who specialize in age-appropriate methods of support, often facilitated through play. The Women’s Center also offers free onsite childcare services during adult-only support groups, classes, and advocacy appointments.  

Community Education & Violence Prevention

Our Advocates conduct presentations with students through local schools and organizations to teach about the warning signs of abuse, healthy vs unhealthy boundaries, power and control in relationships, consent, and the additional resources available within the community. We also provide ongoing education and training to private organizations, businesses, faith-based and community groups, as well as technical training to partner organizations such as law enforcement, nonprofit partners, judges, social workers, health care providers, and governmental/civic branches.

Rape Crisis Response