The Government of Ontario celebrated the opening of the new Grandview Kids Jerry Coughlan Building. The new fully accessible, state-of-the-art children’s treatment centre will serve more than 6,000 children and youth with physical, communication and developmental needs in the Durham region.
The new centre was made possible through a provincial investment of more than $85.3 million, in addition to a federal grant through Infrastructure Canada, 5.06 acres of land donated by the Town of Ajax, as well as funding through Grandview’s community fundraising.
“Building a new state-of-the-art Children’s Treatment Centre for children and youth with special needs in Durham Region is one more way our government is ensuring families can connect to specialized services, no matter where they live,” said Michael Parsa, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. “We are deeply grateful for the work of Grandview Kids Foundation Board of Directors and all the community advocates, organizations and local MPPs who have helped make this new facility a reality.”
The new Grandview Kids building consolidates the existing main site in Oshawa and multiple satellite locations under one roof. Some satellite locations will be maintained to reduce extensive travel times for some clients and their families. The new Grandview Kids site will begin to deliver services to clients in November.
“Grandview Kids has long-awaited the day we would open our new, state-of-the-art headquarters. After years of steadfast advocacy – campaigning for a new facility that could better respond to our community’s growing needs – we are proud to have achieved this monumental milestone,” said Tom McHugh, CEO, Grandview Kids. “We are grateful to our government partners for their ongoing support and investment in this project. The New Grandview Kids is a beacon of hope, excellence, belonging and discovery. This new space will enable Grandview Kids to enhance and expand existing services and introduce new ones, serving children and youth with communication, physical and developmental needs throughout the Durham Region for generations to come.”
The centre will house a team of professionals under one roof and will be a centre of excellence in paediatric care that provides:
- Rehabilitation services, including occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech-language pathology, recreation therapy, audiology, infant hearing, blind-low vision, and social work
- Services offered under the Ontario Autism Program
- A preschool outreach program
- Rehabilitation services at schools
- The Extensive Needs Service, which connects families to a multi-disciplinary team of professionals, including physicians, social workers and behavioural consultants to provide tailored supports based on the individual needs of the child or youth and their families
- The Grandview School, where educators and therapists work together to meet the unique needs of children.
“Our government is pleased to see the Grandview Kids Treatment Centre open its doors to children and families in Durham Region. This is a crucial resource that will help ensure young people receive the supports and services they need to reach their full potential. The treatment centre is part of our government’s investment of more than $191 billion over the next decade to renew and expand critical infrastructure that improves people’s quality of life, supports vibrant communities and fosters economic growth,” said Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure.
Featured image: (Infrastructure Ontario)
