Child & Youth Advocacy Centre - Field Tour

Message from Ginny Becker, Executive Director CYAC

"The Child & Youth Advocacy Centre of Kelowna (CYAC) is a place of hope, help, and healing for children, youth, and families impacted by child abuse and neglect. Operating since 2020, the Centre creates a circle of care around the needs of vulnerable children through a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach that brings together law enforcement, child protection, criminal justice navigators, medical professionals, and mental health supports in one safe, child-friendly space.

Each week, three to four more children walk through the Centre’s doors for the first time. No child arrives by accident. A safe adult—often a teacher, childcare worker, or counselor—has made a report of suspected abuse to the police or the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD). Every child’s first visit includes a forensic interview, where many will share their truth in full for the very first time.

From there, countless pathways to healing unfold, including medical care, mental health services, referrals to community resources, court preparation, remote testimony, and more. Advocacy is the glue that holds this multidisciplinary approach together. Each child and family is assigned a dedicated advocate who serves as a single point of contact, provides ongoing emotional support, and coordinates the agencies involved to ensure every case is moving forward.

The majority of children who come to the Centre are girls between the ages of 7 and 12, most referred for concerns related to sexual abuse. On arrival, about 74% show symptoms consistent with clinical post-traumatic stress, with many also experiencing anxiety or depression. Through the CYAC’s Resilient Families mental health program, PTSD symptoms are reduced to non-clinical levels in 90% of participating children after treatment, while symptoms of depression and anxiety are reduced to non-clinical levels in 100%.

On average, children remain connected to CYAC services for 564 days. What determines the length of time a child receives care? Their needs—it’s as simple as that. Because of community supporters like Ogopogo Rotary, the CYAC has the resources to meet children and families where they’re at and walk alongside them until they are ready to move forward with resilience and hope."

Thank you very much to Ginny Becker and Sarah MacDonald for the Field Tour offered at the CYAC and your precious work.