The Child Advocacy Centre Niagara is holding its grand opening celebration Tuesday afternoon at its brand-new facility at the former New Life Pentecostal Church located at 8 Forster St.

The centre will be the go-to location offering a child-friendly environment where victims of child abuse will be gently guided through the process of reporting incidents by members of Family and Children's Services and Niagara Regional Police. The idea is to have the professionals work out of one place in order to lessen children's trauma.

Roy Hardman, chairman of the board, said the centre is the first of its kind in Canada and is based on a concept well-tested in the United States, where nearly 500 such centres exist.

He said the process also increases the likelihood of conviction.

With 708 cases of physical abuse recorded in Niagara in 2006-2007, along with 343 cases of sexual abuse, Hardman said the centre is much needed.

"We have a significant problem here," he said. "So we need to address it. And we feel this is the best method of dealing with this."

Located in a residential setting, the advocacy centre is designed to be comforting and homey, rather than institutional.

Volunteers have installed a healing garden on the grounds, complete with a trickling fountain to make it even more soothing.

The fundraising team spent the last year and a half raising the necessary $750,000 in capital costs.

Hardman said the annual operating budget for the centre will be about $1.5 million, though most will be come out the budgets for FACS and the NRP, who will operate together through what is being call the Child Advocacy Support Team (CAST). The rest, about $160,000 for ongoing maintenance and an executive director, will be paid for through fundraising.

Hardman said the board has a five-year sustainability plan in place.

The grand opening celebration will be an opportunity to thank the members of the community who have supported the centre. It takes place at 2 p.m.