The Child Advocacy Center will break ground Oct. 12 on a new Springfield campus that leaders said will expand services for child abuse victims and reduce wait times for care.
The project includes a 5,000-square-foot forensic services building and renovation of a second facility, according to a community announcement. The second building, named the Risdal Family Center for Hope, will provide trauma-focused mental health services.
The ceremony is scheduled for noon at 1414 W. Elfindale Road in Springfield. A ceremonial soil turning and remarks from Child Advocacy Center leaders and community members are planned.
The new campus will be anchored by the Ferguson Child Advocacy Center. Organization officials said that the expansion will increase capacity
by 65%, allowing the center to serve more than 2,500 child victims and support additional staffing needs.
“Our Walnut Street facility can no longer meet the growing needs of the children and multidisciplinary teams who rely on us, making this expansion both urgent and essential. After serving more than 1,700 children in 2025, we know that even a 10-day wait can feel like an eternity to a child carrying the burden of abuse. This new campus will give us the accessible, private space we need to deliver timely, coordinated care while always putting children first,” Katiina Dull, executive director of the Child Advocacy Center, said in the announcement.
Those interested in attending the event can RSVP by contacting Development Director Amy Maas at amaas@childadvocacycenter.org.
Additional information about the project is available at childadvocacycenter.org.
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This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Child Advocacy Center to break ground on expanded Springfield campus
