Achi news desk-
After 10 years of planning and two years of construction, the Children’s Cottage Association opened its new Children and Family Center in northwest Calgary on Wednesday.
The non-profit organization provides support services to families, parents and children in crisis.
Demand for the services offered by Cymdeithas Bwthyn y Plant has increased, as families continue to struggle with rising living costs.
Cymdeithas Bwthyn y Plant say that in the past they have had long waiting lists and had to turn people away. But the new facility means they will be able to help even more Calgary families.
The new center will act as a hub for multiple social service agencies to respond to the needs of parents and children in crisis.
“This is a difficult time for parents,” said Danielle Ladouceur, CEO of the Children’s Cottage Association.
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“It is difficult to raise a family and when the economic circumstances are difficult as well, that puts a lot of pressure on families. We are all about free services. We also help families explore options to become more financially stable, be able to make better use of their resources, be able to better connect with support available in the community to help them be financially stable, make sure that their basic needs are met and that they have hope for the future.”
The new 35,000 square foot center in the Montgomery neighborhood will allow the organization to expand its services to an additional 3,000 children and families each year.
The center includes an emergency nursery, which will provide space for 20 more children who need respite care in an emergency.
Mental health services will also be offered, along with a dedicated elderly room and a healing room. The center will also allow for extended child development programs, such as literacy, speech assessment and nutrition.
The facility will be home to Calgary’s first Hope’s Cradle—a safe baby surrender site that allows people to safely and anonymously surrender their child in a safe location if they feel unable to care for them.
“This is the first safe surrender site in Calgary and it’s the difference between life and death for a desperate parent who can’t keep their baby and needs to get their baby somewhere,” said Ladouceur.
“The alternatives so far have been very unsafe and some children have not survived. So having Hope’s Cradle and a safe place for babies to come to gives them the chance for a future they might not have had otherwise.”
Hope’s Cradle will open later this month.
& copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
