The Central Alberta Pregnancy Care Centre (CAPCC) is preparing to move forward on their maternity home projects, with phase two breaking ground this month.
In 2015, the Maternity Home Program – facilitated by CAPCC – opened their first maternity home that featured four private bedrooms and bathrooms, with a communal kitchen and living space, with a live-in home director.
This year, phase two of the Maternity Home Program will begin to take shape – a facility of seven one-bedroom apartments with childcare spaces, a visitors’ lounge and all of the administrative and counselling offices of CAPCC under one roof.
“That building would provide women with access to a safe, stable place for them to be able to carry their pregnancies to term and to be equipped if they choose to parent that child and to do so successfully,” said Anne Waddell, executive director of CAPCC.
She explained parenting successfully means having access to programs, services, mentorship and referral services in the community, which allows the parents to stay with their child as they are developing their ability to parent.
Clients of CAPCC are able to reside in the phase one living units until their child is six months of age. Phase two is a transition into more independent living where the client may reside until the child is up to two years of age.
“We want our clients to be equipped to live independently in the community. We want to support women who are following trades or schooling and teach them about being equipped to parent successfully,” Waddell said.
The Central Alberta Pregnancy Care Centre is currently fundraising to help cover the costs of the second phase facility, as well as the cost of expanding the reach of CAPCC. According to Waddell, CAPCC has managed to raise approximately $1.8 million of the $2.6 million.
The organization will be hosting their annual Fall Fundraising Banquet on Oct. 13th at the Sheraton Hotel. The event is free to attend, but will feature a silent auction and is a semi-formal event. There will be live music and a chance to hear stories from some of the women whose lives have been impacted by CAPCC.
“We are expanding right now and the banquet fundraising will help us to continue to grow across Central Alberta. We celebrated the opening of the Olds centre about three years ago now, and we are expanding into Rocky Mountain House this fall,” Waddell said.
“We have a small branch in Sundre and are looking into other communities such as Lacombe, Ponoka and Stettler. This fundraiser will help to grow our resources in being able to provide our programs and services throughout every community in Central Alberta.”
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