Red Deer College got the ball rolling on having the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre become part of its campus.
RDC’s Board of Governors passed a resolution Thursday, approving a possible lease negotiation with the centre. RDC president Joel Ward said having the facility move onto college land would be a huge learning asset for students.
Although the move must still be approved by Alberta Infrastructure, the child advocacy centre has been on board since February and city council gave initial approval to the move, from a bylaw perspective, Monday.
Ward said students in a variety of programs — social work, education, nursing, early childhood education, sociology, justice and even kinesiology — would benefit from practicums at the centre.
The Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre provides one-stop services — counselling, health examinations, RCMP Victim Services and court supports — to traumatized children.
“There’s also a lot we can do in providing connections to the indigenous population, and how to be culturally appropriate,” added Ward.
He can imagine the partnership someday leading to the creation of an “international centre of excellence” that trains experts from across North America.
Mark Jones, CEO of the centre, now located in downtown Red Deer, said the facility could benefit from more expert knowledge from RDC instructors. Abuse prevention programs could also be developed in partnership with college experts.
And Jones believes students who are trained to appropriately deal with traumatized children will carry this knowledge into the field.
He also endorses the move for practical reasons, saying RDC’s off-Hwy 2 location is more visible and more accessible to those needing help.
The centre would gain space if it built on RDC land. Jones said an $8 million construction project would start next April, if approved by the province, and be completed by the end of January 2020.
So far, $750,000 has been raised through the local celebrity dance-off and many more benefits are planned, including a golf tournament, featuring former Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames players, on Aug. 7 at the Red Deer Golf and Country Club.
lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com
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