Child Advocacy Centre Niagara: Care and Compassion in a Home-like Setting
Posted by Roseanne Morissette
"There are presently 700 cases of child abuse in Niagara." - Mr. Frank Parkhouse
Matt Taylor introduced our guest speakers, Mr. Doug French and Mr. Frank Parkhouse, representatives of the Child Advocacy Centre Niagara. Mr. French resides in St. Catharines with his wife, Donna, of 35 years. The Frenchs are well-known to Niagarans as they suffered a personal and public tragedy involving their daughter, Kristie. Mr. Parkhouse is a retired Deputy Chief of Police in St. Catharines. Messrs. French and Parkhouse have combined their personal and professional experiences to aid and protect children who have suffered abuse. They are board members and spokespersons for The Child Advocacy Centre Niagara.
The Child Advocacy Centre Niagara (CACN) will fill an urgent need to provide the most vulnerable in our society with care and compassion during an extremely stressful time. Based upon successful models in the United States, the CACN is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that victims of child abuse and their families receive medical evaluation and care, crisis counselling, and family support in a timely manner through a well-coordinated multi-disciplinary team of professionals operating from a single site. The CACN is a partnership with the Niagara Regional Police, Child Abuse Unit and the Family and Children's Services Niagara (FACS). The goal is to minimize trauma on children who have already suffered at the hands of perpetrators.
Mr. French explained that, currently, a child who has suffered abuse may have to tell his or her story to a variety of people in different "sterile" settings, such as the police station, the hospital, FACS, the Crown's office, etc. These multiple experiences only serve to heighten the stress and trauma on a child. The CACN will provide a "home-like" setting in which to start the investigation. The physical setting of the site will provide a place to meet the basic needs all children desire: warmth, support, and protection. A building has been located on Forrester Street, formerly a church, which will include a waiting room; play room; interview room (with appropriate AV/video taping equipment); a medical examination room, with a colposcope to limit invasive examinations on child victims; a multi-disciplinary team debriefing room; and offices for team members, including enforcement officers, social workers, mental health specialists, medical staff, and prosecutors.
Mr. Parkhouse advised that start-up and capital costs for the acquistion of the building are estimated at $500,000. Equipment and furnishings are an additional $75,000. The operating costs for the new Centre will be approximately $200,000 a year. Applications have been made for grants, and representatives are planning to speak to all Rotary clubs in the area. Chonee Dennis, from the Dennis Group, a local professional fundraiser, has been engaged to help the board with its fundraising needs. The goal is to raise one million dollars. Donations may be designated to start-up costs, promotions and public awareness materials, educational programs, a Child Advocate program, medical equipment for the examination of sexually and physically abused children, operational costs of the Centre, and the capital cost for the Centre.
Mr. Parkhouse noted that the Centre will be a community building supported by the community. The CACN will make things easier for children who have had their innocence taken away from them.
Roseanne thanked Messrs. French and Parkhouse for addressing the membership and creating awareness of the Child Advocacy Centre Niagara and wished them well in their fundraising efforts and in bringing the Centre to fruition. President Bob also thanked both gentlemen and acknowledged how they have applied their personal and professional experiences to the creation of a very needed and worthwhile community endeavour.
The Child Advocacy Centre Niagara (CACN) will fill an urgent need to provide the most vulnerable in our society with care and compassion during an extremely stressful time. Based upon successful models in the United States, the CACN is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that victims of child abuse and their families receive medical evaluation and care, crisis counselling, and family support in a timely manner through a well-coordinated multi-disciplinary team of professionals operating from a single site. The CACN is a partnership with the Niagara Regional Police, Child Abuse Unit and the Family and Children's Services Niagara (FACS). The goal is to minimize trauma on children who have already suffered at the hands of perpetrators.
Mr. French explained that, currently, a child who has suffered abuse may have to tell his or her story to a variety of people in different "sterile" settings, such as the police station, the hospital, FACS, the Crown's office, etc. These multiple experiences only serve to heighten the stress and trauma on a child. The CACN will provide a "home-like" setting in which to start the investigation. The physical setting of the site will provide a place to meet the basic needs all children desire: warmth, support, and protection. A building has been located on Forrester Street, formerly a church, which will include a waiting room; play room; interview room (with appropriate AV/video taping equipment); a medical examination room, with a colposcope to limit invasive examinations on child victims; a multi-disciplinary team debriefing room; and offices for team members, including enforcement officers, social workers, mental health specialists, medical staff, and prosecutors.
Mr. Parkhouse advised that start-up and capital costs for the acquistion of the building are estimated at $500,000. Equipment and furnishings are an additional $75,000. The operating costs for the new Centre will be approximately $200,000 a year. Applications have been made for grants, and representatives are planning to speak to all Rotary clubs in the area. Chonee Dennis, from the Dennis Group, a local professional fundraiser, has been engaged to help the board with its fundraising needs. The goal is to raise one million dollars. Donations may be designated to start-up costs, promotions and public awareness materials, educational programs, a Child Advocate program, medical equipment for the examination of sexually and physically abused children, operational costs of the Centre, and the capital cost for the Centre.
Mr. Parkhouse noted that the Centre will be a community building supported by the community. The CACN will make things easier for children who have had their innocence taken away from them.
Roseanne thanked Messrs. French and Parkhouse for addressing the membership and creating awareness of the Child Advocacy Centre Niagara and wished them well in their fundraising efforts and in bringing the Centre to fruition. President Bob also thanked both gentlemen and acknowledged how they have applied their personal and professional experiences to the creation of a very needed and worthwhile community endeavour.