By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

Child Advocacy Centre set to launch $8M capital fundraising campaign

Apr 5, 2018 | 10:48 AM

Officials with the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre are still optimistic they can be in a new and larger facility by 2020.

Board Chair Terry Loewen spoke about the $8 million project Wednesday night as they thanked the community for their ongoing support, including last year’s Sheraton Celebrity Dance Off which raised $750,000.

Loewen said it will take a lot of hard work and commitment but that he’s confident the right people are in place to make it happen.

“The results we’ve gotten in four months at a small, very temporary place are outstanding, and that tells us we’re on the right path,” he said. “We need the community to get behind us and tell the government we need help. This shouldn’t be a private venture — this should be something the government is looking after.”

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CEO Mark Jones also revealed that a number of child advocacy centres across the province have been asked to collaborate and provide a report to the government by May 15 outlining what they believe the province should provide for annual core funding.

To date, the provincial government has provided $150,000 in seed funding for the CACAC to get off the ground, but the need is now greater given the ambitious plans and the 100+ cases they’ve dealt with since opening in December.

“We were expecting to be busy, but honestly, it’s been overwhelming — overwhelming in a good way,” Jones said. “At the end of the day, when you see children come into the centre and leave the centre no longer anxious, but instead with a certain sense of optimism towards healing, that’s a really big step for them.”

Jones said the CACAC will be launching their $8 million fundraising campaign in the next couple weeks, as well as announcing a handful of new partnerships.

They also have a meeting on April 16 with the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure to share the long-term plans and to discuss how the province can assist going forward.