It won’t be open until next week, but Sheldon Kennedy gave CTV a tour of his new Child Advocacy Centre designed to help kids suffering from abuse.
The Centre is the first of its kind in Canada. Here, social workers, police, medical staff, and Crown prosecutors all work under one roof.
Kids who come to the centre have all experienced a traumatic event and they’re interviewed a single time about what happened, and the professionals take it from there.
“Every time you talk about what happened, you’re reliving it,” says Sgt. Dan Link with the Calgary Police Service.
There are a number of games, toys, and other activities for kids to play with and help themselves feel comfortable.
There is even a pet fish. ‘Nemo’ was brought in by police as an ice breaker so workers can help start a difficult conversation with kids.
Heather Krowchuk, a nurse with a specialized program that looks into the abuse of tiny babies less than three months old, sees the centre facilitate interactions between many authorities successfully.
“Without us being here together, it might take weeks,” she says. “You track down the doctor, you track down whatever nurse saw them here.”
The Centre will also provide opportunities for research. It will be collaborating with researchers including some from the University of Calgary to study child abuse.
(With files from Bridget Brown)
