FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2023/08/11

The Children’s Treatment Centre of Chatham-Kent (CTC-CK) continues to make great progress with the planning and design of its new facility on McNaughton Avenue West in Chatham.

“We are like a duck on the water that looks serene but is paddling vigorously under the surface,” says Donna Litwin-Makey, Executive Director of the CTC-CK. “The building of a new CTC facility for our community is very important to many local children and families and we need to get it right. That’s why we are taking the time now to continue gathering input at key planning points so that the architects can design a unique facility that best serves children and families for many years to come.

Over the last several months, the CTC-CK Building Committee has reviewed and revised progressive concepts presented by Montgomery Sisam Architects, Inc. CTC-CK families, youth, Family Advisory Council, clinicians, and staff have had the opportunity to participate in a cycle of input on the right kind and right size of space that will facilitate the provision of evidence-based services both effectively and efficiently.

In February 2022, Ontario’s Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services officially announced it will invest a in new building more than twice the size of our current building, that will support modern, accessible, and centralized services for children and youth with special needs and reduce wait times for services such as speech therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and autism services.

“The new and expanded Children’s Treatment Centre of Chatham-Kent will provide families with the supports and services they need under one roof,” said Michael Parsa, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, “It will mean greater access to more occupational therapy, more physiotherapy and more speech-language pathology services for children with special needs in the Chatham-Kent area, making it easier for families to receive the services they need closer to home.”

“I appreciate that we are taking time to ensure that we have the best interests of our young clients at heart with every decision that goes into our building concepts,” says Trevor Jones, MPP, Chatham-Kent-Leamington. “I have no doubt that the attention to detail we are taking now will make this the best new CTC in Ontario.”

“Our government is proud to invest in a historic new Children’s Treatment Centre in Chatham-Kent, designed with input from families of children with special needs and the experts who serve them,” says Monte McNaughton, MPP, Lambton-Kent-Middlesex. “When completed, even more people will be able to rely on the world-class care offered by the Centre for years to come.”

Collier Project Leaders, who are overseeing project management for the new facility believe that this firsthand input from those with special interest in this project is helping to keep the planning on track.

“Continued Ministry, donor and municipal support has helped keep us paddling forward,” says Litwin-Makey. “We know they have our back and want us to do whatever it takes for the children and youth we serve.”

A special thank you goes out for all the input from our community, our families, partners, and the continued support of local MPPs and the Municipality of Chatham-Kent.

Timeline of Capital Campaign:

• Feb 3, 2022 – Ontario’s Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services officially announces it will invest in a new 55,000 sq ft. CTC building for Chatham-Kent
• Feb 16, 2022 – Colliers Project Leaders announced as Project Management Team
• Apr 29, 2022 – Stage One of planning activities commenced, including soil studies, draining and best building orientation on site.
• Dec 5, 2022 – Montgomery Sisam announced as Lead Architects
• 2023 – CTC-CK has progressed from concept design to schematic design and is currently in design development.

Pictured: Ashley Gialelem, CTC-CK Client Ambassador, holding a concept picture of the new CTC-CK Building