The Children's Treatment Centre in Chatham-Kent is moving to a new location.
The announcement was made at the centre's annual general meeting Tuesday night.
The new facility will be located on McNaughton Ave., close to Bear Line Rd., and almost double the size of the current centre on Lark St.
Executive Director Donna Litwin-Makey says it's time for a new, roomier centre.
"We've got washrooms converted into offices. We have a seating room that we now do out in the community and use it for some of our other services. We keep bouncing off and trading staff for different functions. We've maxed out what I feel we can do in the community," explains Litwin-Makey.
Litwin-Makey says the new bigger centre will allow for more programs and activities.
Children's Treatment Centre New Site on McNaughton Ave. June 20, 2017. (Photo courtesy of Sarah Cowan Blackburn News Chatham-Kent.)
"A lot of our models have switched to families learning a lot of strategies to do at home. We need spots where families are together and learning in a little more of a classroom style, for instance. Groups have been a challenge because were small and compacted," she says.
Litwin-Makey says the consultant for the building plans has recommended increasing the centre size from approximately 25,000 ft to almost 50,000 ft, to allow for a gymnasium and larger pool area.
Foundation Chair Michael Grail says the new facility has been a long time coming.
"We're excited about it. This isn't anything that we've just stumbled upon. We've known that the need has existed for some time. We've been strategically planning with the centre and the centre's board for many years," explains Grail.
Grail adds that funding has not yet been determined by the municipality, so the foundation is still waiting for approval to finalize building plans and give timelines.
The foundation's fundraising goal for the new facility is approximately $6-million.