The provincial and federal governments are investing a combined $1.5 million in a brand new facility for the Beausejour Family Crisis Resource Centre in Shediac.
Executive Director Kristal LeBlanc says one of the major upgrades is ten on site residential units for short term relief, ranging from one to three bedrooms.
“Right now I only have two apartments hidden in the community, so we have absolutely no housing right now,” says LeBlanc. “So we’re providing outreach services and counselling and we’re having to hide victims in Bed & Breakfast’s and cottages, so it’s just providing us with all the housing options that we didn’t have.”
She says another element she is particularly proud of is a custody and access centre, which she describes as a safe space for parents to have supervised visits, or exchanges with their children.
“Gone are the days of having to exchange little Tommy at a parking lot at Sobeys, where we’re seeing the children after and they’re so nervous about the exchange because Mum and Dad are arguing in front of them while they’re in the car,” says LeBlanc.
“It creates a really fun space where Tommy can come and play, and the exchange can happen without Mum or Dad even crossing paths,” continues LeBlanc.
She says their current building is far too cramped for them to be able to offer all the required services, and need is only growing year over year.
“There’s a medical exam room, we don’t have that right now, where rape kits can be done on site,” says LeBlanc. “And a nurse practitioner will be able to come and provide basic medical care for our clients.”
LeBlanc says it’s basically a “holistic, wrap around one stop shop” for their clients.
LeBlanc says construction for the $3.9 million centre is expected to get underway at the end of this month, or in early August, with the official opening by February, or March of 2019.
