Background

Since 2006.

A Bit of History

In 1985, the first Child and Youth Advocacy Centre (CYAC) was established in Huntsville, Alabama to create a system that brought together professionals from law enforcement, criminal justice, child protection services, medical and mental health under one roof, where they worked together as a team in child abuse cases. The idea of community partnerships revolutionized the system response to child sexual abuse. Today, almost 30 years later, Child and Youth Advocacy Centres are regarded as a leading practice responding to child abuse cases. There are more than 900 CYACs in the United States and in 10 other countries across the world.

The driving vision for a Child and Youth Advocacy Centre in Cornwall and Area began in 2006, when a group of volunteer community leaders assembled as a response to the Cornwall Public Inquiry Phase 2: Healing & Reconciliation. The group became an incorporated organization named PrévAction and with the input provided to the Commissioner, it was recognized that the development and implementation of a Child and Youth Advocacy Centre was needed for Cornwall, S.D. & G. and Akwesasne.

PrévAction, Cornwall and Area’s first Child and Youth Advocacy Centre opened its doors on January 6th, 2014. Ensuingly, with a new identity and redesigned logo, a press conference was held on March 18th, 2014 to announce the Centre’s new name, Koala Place.

Koala Place would not have come so far, so quickly, to address the critical issue of child abuse if not for the financial support from the Department of Justice Canada Victims Fund, our partners and our community.