‘This is where we were meant to be’: Grand opening for new Zebra Centre facility

An Edmonton organization that helps child and youth victims of abuse is celebrating the grand opening of its new facility.

An Edmonton organization that helps vulnerable children is celebrating the grand opening of its new facility.

The Zebra Child and Youth Advocacy Centre supports child victims of abuse and their families. It offers a space where children can be comfortable during traumatic times and supports clients through the investigative, judicial and healing processes.

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“The Zebra Center is our community’s response to abuse, and it truly took our community to help build this space. So we are so grateful for all … the people who have helped,” said Emmy Stuebing, the CEO of the Zebra Centre.

The new facility, which was publicly announced exactly a year ago, has 30,000-square-feet of space to house the services used by thousands of children each year.

The organization’s original facility opened in 2002 in downtown Edmonton.

“We were never meant to be downtown forever, it was designed to support maybe 2,000 kids a year, plus even just getting to it wasn’t that child friendly,” Stuebing said.

“Now we have this wonderful building, we can support the over 4,000 kids that come here every year, and we even have room to grow. This is where we were meant to be.”

In 2024, the centre provided support to 4,387 children and youth, an increase of 87 per cent since 2019, according to the organization.

Of the children referred to the Zebra Centre, 51.1 per cent were victims of sexual abuse and 41.2 per cent were victims of other physical abuse.

“Without Zebra, these kids and caregivers would have to go all over the place to very grown-up spaces such as police stations, which are not child friendly, and that could just add to the trauma that these kids have already experienced,” Stuebing said.

“By having the Zebra Center, it’s a one-stop shop with a whole curve of caring adults working together in various ways to help the kids who’ve been hurt in our communities.”

The new location became operational in October, but was still working on the finishing touches.