Langley Child and Youth Advocacy Centre (CYAC) Coming Soon

What is a CYAC?
Child and Youth Advocacy Centres (CYACs) provide collaborative services designed to provide a coordinated response to child abuse and crimes against children and youth. CYACs connect children, youth and their families to services designed to meet their unique needs, and assist them to navigate any system they may encounter such as medical, criminal justice, and child protection.​ Learn more about the BC Network of Child and Youth Advocacy Centres here.

Key elements of a CYAC...
  • Interview with police and child protection
  • Linkage to a child advocate for system navigation
  • Medical exams
  • Victim services & court preparation
  • Counselling & other supports
CYAC Advisory Committees
We want to hear your voice to guide us on what’s needed and how we can do better in our community. We are looking for youth and parents/caregivers who have experience with child protection and/or policing in Langley. We are working to bring service providers together to improve our response to families when children and youth experience abuse or crime. If you are interested in taking part, email [email protected].

Be a part of change...
  • Help guide the decisions in the development of a CYAC
  • Bring your unique knowledge and skills on the journey
  • Make recommendations and/or provide key information  from your lived experience
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Coming Soon to Langley 
Langley service providers have been working quietly behind the scenes for years discussing the possibility of having a Child and Youth Advocacy Centre (CYAC) in Langley. With funding from Justice Canada, it has been found that a CYAC is both needed and feasible in Langley. Over the coming year, work on this project will continue and will focus on identifying a site for a Langley CYAC, and defining partnership agreements and a service model for this Centre. 

We believe this is a collaborative community project that will significantly improve the experience of children and youth after a disclosure of abuse, the families who support them, the professionals involved, and result in more favourable case outcomes.  If you have any questions, connect with us by emailing ​[email protected].
Needs Assessment and Feasibility Study
A Needs Assessment and Feasibility Study for a Child and Youth Advocacy Centre in Langley, British Columbia, was conducted between September 2021 and February 2022. The purpose of the study was to determine if there is a need in Langley for a Child and Youth Advocacy Centre (CYAC), and whether the community has the interest and resources to successfully develop a CYAC. The project was funded by the Department of Justice Canada, overseen by Encompass Support Services Society, and carried out by a consultant with sufficient experience in community-based research and the development of CYACs. This report describes the process and outcomes of that assessment. Read the full report here:
Partnerships
Hosted by Encompass Support Services Society, a Langley CYAC will bring together the community, including partner organizations, to collaboratively work towards the creation of a coordinated, trauma-informed, child- and youth-friendly, culturally safe, co-located program that will immensely benefit many young victims in Langley.

Our current community partners for a Langley CYAC include: