A Safe Haven Takes Shape

After years of planning and collaboration among child health and welfare groups, legal authorities and some of the Foundation’s most generous donors, Langley’s Child and Youth Advocacy Centre (CYAC) is preparing to open its doors to support children and youth in Langley who have experienced abuse and violence so they can find coordinated trauma-informed care close to home.

“The CYAC is about doing things we already do in a different and better way,” explains Kristin Coyne, Senior Clinical Manager at Encompass Support Services Society, which hosts the centre.

The CYAC process marks a fundamental shift from a fragmented system that asks young victims to repeatedly tell their difficult stories to one agency after another.

“It’s really about coming together and wrapping around that family to offer them what they need in a trauma-informed and culturally responsive way.”

The renovated first-floor space at 103-20230 64th Avenue in Langley has been carefully designed with healing in mind. Families enter a welcoming environment featuring a living room and kitchen area where they can settle in with a dedicated advocate.

What makes Langley’s CYAC particularly unique is its comprehensive “Circle of Care” approach, says Kristin. The multi-disciplinary team brings together RCMP officers, Ministry of Child and Family Development workers, workers from Xyólheméylh (the local Indigenous Child and Family Services Agency), counselling services and other representatives appropriate for each child’s needs.

This approach endeavours to create a welcoming and inclusive environment that a child needs to find the comfort to share their story as few times as possible, while multiple professionals gather the information needed for investigation, prosecution and ongoing support.

In British Columbia, one in three children experience some form of abuse, yet fewer than 10 per cent report it to police. Nationally, child abuse and neglect costs Canadians an estimated $23 billion annually. There are more than 40 CYACs open or in development across Canada, including 11 that will be operational in BC this year.

While the Langley CYAC is still in its soft-launch phase, some services are already operating. The centre has been providing trauma counseling and sexual assault navigation, and is working more closely with partners to strengthen collaboration before the facility opens fully.

“We don’t want people to be holding these experiences privately if they might benefit from talking to someone and accessing support,” she says.