Windsor Regional Hospital builds new children’s centre

by Evan Mathias

Windsor Regional Hospital has opened a new children’s treatment centre.

The Windsor Essex Care For Kids House opened March 1 at the Regional Children’s Centre.

The $5.3 million project began in March 2012 and will provide a state of the art gymnasium for recreational opportunities as well as a wheelchair accessible saltwater pool.

The W.E. Care For Kids House will provide at risk children with the care they require for mental health issues. W.E Care For Kids has donated $1 million to the program and the building of the new facility.

The program was originally in the Regional Children’s Center and has moved into the new W.E. Care For Kids House.

“We took a tour and we were completely devastated by the conditions the children were living in,” said Pina Rosati, board president of W.E Care For Kids Foundation.

The new Family Learning Place is going to be an intense program for children aged six to 12 with emotional and behavioral needs that can’t be met otherwise.

“The new (building) is an improvement over the old facility. It is much more spacious,” said Dr. Mary Broga, vice president of family mental health and addictions. “If we didn’t get a new building we wouldn’t be able to offer the program.”

David Musyj, president and CEO of WRH said he is happy with what the program has accomplished.

“It focuses on the families and the kids that desperately need this facility,” said Musyj. “The program itself and staff is phenomenal and now we have the facilities that match our staff and our program.”

Children will begin to move from the old facility to the new W.E Care For Kids House March 13.