By Tyler Sutherland
Family Services and Labour Minister Jennifer Howard
A new centre in downtown Winnipeg will provide support for children who are victims of serious abuse.
The province’s first children’s advocacy centre will provide access to programs and professionals to help children navigate the child protection and justice systems with as little additional trauma as possible in a single location.
Family Services and Labour Minister Jennifer Howard made the announcement Wednesday at the Portage Avenue facility.
“Child abuse in all its forms is one of the most traumatic experiences that happens in many too peoples’ lives,” Howard said. “In the coming months this centre will bring together under one roof a team of professionals to help those children, while at the same time increasing the likelihood that abusers will be brought to justice.”
The centre, once open, will be run as a non-profit community organization with $339,000 in annual funding from the province. It’s expected the centre will eventually serve about 100 Manitoba children per year.
