Lansdowne launches online campaign to muster support for a new center

Lansdowne Children’s Center has launched an online campaign to garner support for a desperately needed new home.

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The center at 39 Mount Pleasant St., Brantford is already bursting at the seams. Lansdowne officials say the problem will only get worse as demand for services increases over the next few years.

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Lansdowne provides a range of services, resources and support to more than 3,400 children and youth living with a range of communication, developmental and/or physical challenges.

But there are more than 2,400 children on the center’s wait list and Lansdowne officials say the clock is ticking on a new center as the wait list is expected to grow to 13,500 families by 2041.

“Our team is constantly sharing space, changing over rooms for different treatments or programs,” Rita-Marie Hadley, the center’s executive director, said. “We don’t have dedicated space available for equipment, so we lose time in constant setup, tear down and outside storage.

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“We need to see more families to keep pace with the demands in our community, and to do that we need more space for treatment rooms, services and resources.”

Residents can voice their support by visiting www.lansdownecentre.ca/forthekids and adding their name to a letter calling for a new children’s treatment centre. Visitors to the site will also learn more about the capacity challenges and the growing wait list for services.

Incorporated in 1974, Lansdowne moved to its Mount Pleasant Street location in 1998. Since then, the center has seen a 550 per cent increase in service demand for help.

Lansdowne serves Brantford, Brant, Haldimand, Norfolk, Six Nations and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

At its current location, the center doesn’t have any opportunity to expand. The property is land-locked and the cinder block building is not fit to expand vertically, officials say.

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Lansdowne officials recently gave Michael Parsa, Ontario’s Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, a tour of the center. Parsa was accompanied by Brantford-Brant MPP Will Bouma who arranged the tour.

The ministry has given Lansdowne officials approval to move plans for a new center forward.

Mike Gataopoulos, a father of a Lansdowne client and a member of the centre’s board, is one of many people who is advocating for a new centre. He spoke to Brant County councilors earlier this year and repeated his message during Parsa’s visit.

“The impact of wanting to do best for your child, trying to do your best but having circumstances beyond your control stand in your way is absolutely the most helpless feeling you can have as a parent,” Gataopoulos said. “Right now, over 2,400 families are sitting in that position.

“We cannot let that number grow and have 13,500 families missing the early intervention window.”

Gataopoulos said kids need to grow and so does Lansdowne.

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