The new Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre and Centre of Excellence will be done in August 2023. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

good things to come

New child advocacy centre on target to open in August 2023

Dec 10, 2022 | 2:51 PM

The building’s shell is up and framing is beginning inside, with the new Centre of Excellence and Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre (CACAC) set to open next August.

Construction on the 69,000 square foot building only began this past August on campus at Red Deer Polytechnic.

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Mark Jones, CACAC CEO, pointed out during a tour on Saturday that motorists can see the facility from the 32 Street overpass, but he doesn’t believe everyone is aware of the project’s scope.

Mark Jones, Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre CEO, describes a floor plan on a tour Saturday of the CACAC’s new Centre of Excellence. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

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“We want people to understand that we are creating what will truly be a centre of excellence to help children, youth and families going through trauma, abuse, mental illness and addiction, and so they can have a place to come get the help they need,” says Jones.

“The fact we’re on RDP land lends itself to prevention, because we’ll be working with our future teachers, nurses and psychologists — anyone that works with kids and families.”

More than a dozen educational fields at RDP will directly benefit from the partnership with the CACAC.

“This is probably the most exciting and rewarding thing a person could be a part of,” added Jones. “We have a great team and great community, from whom the support has been unbelievable since day one. This is a dream from 2016 coming together seven years later.”

The building has three floors, with the bottom to primarily be home to Alberta Health Services, and where the Step Up, Step Down program will be expanded from the current five beds to 16.

(rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

The Move Your Mood program will be on the second floor, which will also be home to offices of partnering organizations such as the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre.

The third floor will have a more programming space, including a play area, as well as a large staff room for staff from all organizations to come together.

Other organizations such as the RCMP will also have offices in the building.

In February, the CACAC will launch a public campaign ahead of reaching that finish line in August.

Public tours will also happen at some point between now and opening, Jones promises.

More information is at www.centralalbertacac.ca.