After 13 years in the same space and a growing demand for services, Luna Child and Youth Advocacy Centre CEO Karen Orser said it was time to expand.

Now, the Calgary organization is launching the public portion of a $7 million campaign to cover the cost of an expansion into a new, purpose-built, trauma-informed location that will help them meet that need today and in the future.

Luna Child and Youth Advocacy Centre provides support to children, youth and families in Calgary and across southern Alberta in cases of child abuse that require a coordinated, multi-system response.

Orser told LWC on Wednesday that so much has changed since they built their current facility 13 years ago.

“Our old space has served us very well. We’ve learned a lot in the last 13 years and helped a lot of kids and families,” she said.

“But this new space is our opportunity to take everything we’ve learned and build something that really reflects the work we do now but also make sure we can do it well into the future for the community and all the surrounding communities as well that we serve.”

The $7 million covers the cost of a massive renovation on an existing building, and will allow for more interview rooms, additional therapy rooms — including a group therapy room — along with more remote testimony rooms. These allow kids to stay out of the actual courtroom and do their testimony in a safe space at the centre.

The new facility will also add more private family rooms.

“The number of kids and families coming through here on a day is so high, and we knew we could do a better job of giving them confidential private spaces to be in,” Orser said.

“It really just reflects what we’ve learned about what kids and families need and offers just a better experience for them.”

Halfway there, with opening slated for early 2027

Orser said that thanks to donors and other supporters, they’ve been able to put together roughly 55 per cent of the $7 million cost. Now, they’ve launched their community campaign to help them put together the final $3 million.

Since it opened in 2013, more than 30,000 youth and their families have gone through the Luna Child and Youth Advocacy Centre. That number is expected to grow along with the population of Calgary.

The new space takes into account what is needed today, but also how the need might grow well into the future, Orser said.

“You always have to balance what you need now and what you think you’ll need. So we’ve tried to be really thoughtful and responsible for that,” she said.

“This space allows us to do the work we need to now, but we also think we can grow into that space for the next 10,15 years; we’ll be able to accommodate our space needs over time.”

Right now, the funding block doesn’t include any provincial or federal funding. Orser said they’re currently in conversations with the provincial government, and she hopes the province comes to the table to help.

Orser said they hope to nail down the final $3 million over the next handful of months. The campaign will run through October, which is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and will continue through the holiday season.

“We hope to be working out of the center in the new year. We are shovels in the ground. Things have gone very smoothly. We’re on track, on timeline, on budget,” she said.

“We actually hope… our teams are coming back after Christmas and working out of the new space.”

They plan to have a grand opening in the spring once they’ve settled into the new location.

For more information on the campaign, visit the Luna Centre website.