Government of Canada Celebrates the Opening of Winnipeg's Children's Advocacy Centre
WINNIPEG, January 23, 2013 – The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Niagara Falls, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today attended the opening of the Winnipeg Children's Advocacy Centre, designed to help better serve children and youth that have been victims or witnesses of crime. Minister Nicholson was joined by the Honourable Jennifer Howard, Minister of Manitoba Family Services and Labour.
"I am pleased to be here today for the grand opening of Winnipeg's Children's Advocacy Centre,"
said Minister Nicholson. "This Centre will play an imperative role in making sure that young victims and their families have access to essential programs and services in order to mitigate further victimization."
Child Advocacy Centres (CACs) aim to minimize the trauma of being a child victim of crime. CACs are a collaborative team of professionals who work in a child-friendly setting to help a child or youth victim or witness navigate the criminal justice system. The work of the CAC staff can greatly reduce the emotional and mental harm to the child.
"Child abuse in all its forms is one of the most traumatic events that happen in many peoples' lives,"
said Minister Howard. "This centre will bring together, under one roof, a team of professionals to help those children, while at the same time improving the likelihood that abusers will be brought to justice."
Funding was made available for the Winnipeg Children's Advocacy Centre through the Victims Fund, which is administered by the Department of Justice. Funds are available to provinces, territories and non-governmental organizations for programs and services that give victims of crime a more effective voice in the criminal justice system. The Government of Canada has allocated more than $90 million over the past six years for initiatives that benefit victims of crime, including funding for provincial and territorial government programs.
In Economic Action Plan 2012, the Government also committed an additional $5 million over five years for new or enhanced Child Advocacy Centres (CACs), bringing the total federal Government commitment to CACs to $10.25 million.
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