Construction is now underway on a new facility for the Children’s Treatment Centre of Chatham-Kent.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Monday for the new building on McNaughton Avenue West, with Michael Parsa, Ontario’s Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, on hand to reaffirm the Ontario government’s financial support.
“Our populations are growing across the province and there’s a need for these services and we recognize that,” said Parsa. “They already do fantastic work but obviously with the growth in the communities and [the need] for services that families rely on, this will help them even more and provide more support.”
The Ontario government has committed $58.96 million toward the total cost of the $65.91 million, 58,000‐square‐foot facility.
The new building is expected to provide additional space to reduce wait times for rehabilitation services such as speech therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and autism services.
Currently, there are around 700 children and youth on the treatment centre’s waitlist, however, CTC-CK Executive Director Donna Litwin-Makey hopes that will be drastically reduced once the new facility is completed.
She said the added space will also improve how services are offered.
“So many things will be effective and efficient so that we can serve greater numbers and have less waiting for those kids yet to come,” said Litwin-Makey.
The Children’s Treatment Centre of Chatham-Kent currently provides services to more than 3,700 children and youth with special needs.
Litwin-Makey said the new facility is expected to be completed by the spring of 2026.
