The governments of Canada and Saskatchewan jointly unveiled the Little Oak Child and Youth Justice Centre on Tuesday.
The centre expands the Victim Services program, with the goal of creating a child-friendly space and trauma-informed services for children and their families who are victims of abuse.
“The goal is to offer a coordinated, multi-disciplinary approach to the investigation and to provide support to children and their families. This approach minimizes trauma for young victims and their families, and it delivers a more collaborative response to child victims of physical and sexual violence overall,” said Moose Jaw North MLA and Justice Minister Tim McLeod.
To help get the facility off the ground, the federal government has committed $470,000 over two years for Little Oak. The province provided the Moose Jaw Police Service $223,000 from the Civil Forfeiture Fund for the facility, as well as for training two new Internet Child Exploitation officers.
Buckley Belanger, MP for Desnethé–Missinippi–Churchill River and Secretary of State for Rural Development, attended on behalf of federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser.
“The reality of child abuse is heartbreaking, and the impacts can last a lifetime. That’s why centres like the new Little Oak Child and Youth Justice Centre are so important,” Belanger said.
Moose Jaw’s facility is only the third child and youth advocacy centre in Saskatchewan with both provincial and federal support. The others are in Saskatoon and Regina. A fourth centre in Lloydminster is not federally funded.
Nationally, Ottawa has committed more than $50 million to support 45 of these facilities across Canada, which are at different stages of development.
“I want to point out that this model works, and across Canada these centres support about 20,000 children and youth every year,” Belanger said.
Little Oak Child and Youth Justice Centre will be led by Moose Jaw Victim Services.
“Little Oak represents strength, resiliency, growth through all types of seasons. Little Oak is a trauma-informed centre for children and youth to feel safe, heard and supported. As professionals, we have the privilege to work in a centre such as this,” said Victim Services coordinator Terri Roney.
The facility includes a trauma-informed area for children before interviews, a space for officers to meet with parents and guardians to guide them through the justice system and available services, and an interview room designed for children that also allows them to testify remotely in court.