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It’s no secret that Brampton could use more medical facilities. Now, a brand new specialty treatment facility has officially opened its doors in Brampton - and it’s the largest respite centre of its kind in the province.

ErinoakKids Centre for Treatment and Development officially opened at 10145 McVean Drive in Brampton on Friday May 4, 2018.

The 122,000 square foot space has been occupied since the end of January, according to ErinoakKids, which now has state-of-the-art sites in Brampton, Mississauga, and Oakville.

“The growing demand for therapy, medical and support services for kids with disabilities and special needs prompted the need to create a single point of care for families in need of ErinoakKids’ services,” reads a recent release.

The three ErinoakKids sites have replaced 10 outgrown and rented facilities across the two cities and one town.

“We had a vision to replace a number of small, outdated spaces with welcoming facilities specifically tailored to meet the needs of the children we are so privileged to serve,” said ErinoakKids President and CEO Bridget Fewtrell.

“These new beautiful and accessible spaces will help our young clients thrive and grow, each reaching their unique potential.”

The Brampton facility contains several new features, including a 26-bed respite house, a warm water therapy pool, two fully accessible playgrounds for therapy and play, an adapted fitness facility, a youth drop-in centre, and even a Longo’s Family Resource Centre.

It offers services for children with a range of needs, such as physiotherpay, occupational therapy, autism services, and even infant hearing services.

“The Brampton facility will bring medical, therapy and support services under one roof so families in the area will no longer have to visit different locations for various services,” reads the statement.

“The project is the is the largest in the history of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services and the first multi-site build of a children’s treatment centre in the province.”

Brampton’s ErinoakKids is the only site with a respite centre of the three, and it’s the largest of its kind in Ontario.

“The 26-bed Regional Respite Centre, the largest of its kind in Ontario, will house children who are medically fragile/technology dependent, have complex care requirements or autism. Specially trained staff will care for children during daytime and overnight stays as well as summer camps, providing much-needed caregiving relief for parents.”

“The 26 bed respite facility will provide meaningful support and programming for kids with complex care needs,” said ErinoakKids Board Chair James Sutherland. “It will give their families who care for these kids 24/7, the chance to unwind and spend precious quality time with each other as well as other family members.”

Photo courtesy of ErinoakKids via Google