July 30, 2015 – Calgary, Ontario – Department of Justice.
Today, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Peter MacKay and Joan Crockatt, Member of Parliament for Calgary Centre, announced funding of $160,000 over two fiscal years to the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre to develop expertise in specialized child abuse forensic interviewing and to extend forensic interviewing and extending support to rural and First Nations communities in Southern Alberta where this specialized expertise does not exist.
The enhanced expertise enabled by this funding will help to ensure that interviews of young victims and witnesses of physical and sexual abuse are child-sensitive and legally sound.
Child advocacy centres (CACs) and child and youth advocacy centres (CYACs) help child and youth victims and their families navigate the criminal justice system. They provide a safe child- and youth-friendly environment where a coordinated team of professionals works to meet the specific needs of each person. The work of a multidisciplinary team in a CAC or a CYAC can greatly reduce the emotional and mental harm to child and youth victims involved in the criminal justice system.
In Economic Action Plan 2015, the Government committed to provide additional funding to CACs and CYACs. Starting in 2016-17, the Government will provide $5.25 million over four years, and $2.1 million on an annual basis thereafter, to make the support and services provided by CACs and CYACs more accessible in communities across the country.
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