what we do
Who We Help
Alisa’s Wish helps all children and youth—up to 18 years old—who have experienced or witnessed physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. We also assist their families.
We serve all children and youth in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows regardless of race, culture, socio-economic group, gender, ability, or sexual orientation.
caregiver support group
The Alisa’s Wish CYAC Caregiver Support Group is a six week psychoeducational series for caregivers/parents of child or youth clients of the Centre who are supporting their children through a traumatic experience; we realize abuse affects the whole family. This group provides some information and provides a safe setting to share and find support.
For more information about upcoming group times, call the Centre at 604.466.3922.
Topics include:
Impact of Trauma & Loss
Safety Planning
Supporting Your Child
Strengthening Parenting Skills
Introduction to the court process
Strengthening Parenting Coping Skills After Trauma
Self –Care and Mindfulness
Creating a Circle of Support
Resiliency Skill Development
Protective Factors: Safeguarding Your Children
How We Help
Victim Advocacy
Alisa’s Wish Child & Youth Advocacy Centre is a home-like, warm, friendly, and welcoming first-entry point for children, youth, and their supportive family members.
Victims are immediately assigned a Child Youth Advocate who supports them from beginning to end of their traumatic journey
The Child Youth Advocate serves as the child/youth/family’s representative from intake to end of service time; connecting the family with all the support programs that are available to them and the Centre becomes the place where meetings with police, social workers and other service providers are held.
the cyac model
Alisa’s Wish is one of 6 operating Child & Youth Advocacy Centres in British Columbia (3 more are in development). There are over 30 centres in Canada.
CYACs provide a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach in a safe, comfortable environment to address the needs of children, youth and their families.
Our friends at the Victoria Child & Youth Advocacy Centre made this great video to explain how it works.
As the COVID-19 health pandemic has swept across the world, every community in our province has been faced with making radical changes to ensure health and safety for all. This has resulted in many children and youth being isolated at home with their families. Sadly, for too many children and youth in our province, we know that home is not a safe place to be. Across the country, service providers are noting the number of reported child abuse cases have dropped significantly. Today, the British Columbia (BC) Network of Child and Youth Advocacy Centres is releasing a public service announcement aimed at educating citizens in our province on the moral and legal obligation to report suspicions of child abuse. We are particularly concerned during this time where the typical safeguards for children and youth who experience abuse are impacted.