Metro Vancouver’s first dedicated child protection centre was unveiled Sunday with help from a rock royalty family.
Sophie’s Place, which opens next month, will have doctors, police and counsellors under one roof to provide abused children aged 12 and under a safe and kid-friendly environment to share their stories.
The facility, located within The Centre for Child Development building in Surrey, is named after its patron Sophie Tweed-Simmons, 19, daughter of Kiss frontman Gene Simmons.
“It’s really important to me for kids to have a place where adults can take them seriously and where they can express what’s happened to them in a safe environment,” she said.
Sophie became involved in the project following a meeting with Mayor Dianne Watts, and also aided with the construction of the centre.
Her parents, Gene and Shannon, said they couldn’t be any prouder.
“For her to imagine abuse, it’s unusual for a privileged child to fathom it and I’m glad that she can,” Shannon said, adding Sophie has been to Vietnam, Bulgaria and Uruguay for charity work all before she got out of high school.
“There are the spoiled ones who have their little world and never step out of it. I’m glad we raised her so that she is able to have empathy and envision helping others.”
Gene said he’s learned a thing or two from his daughter.
“(She has) the kind of empathy we wish we had,” he said. “She doesn’t have to do any of this (but) she goes way out on a limb and puts her name in front of something that’s really important. All of us can take a good lesson from our kids, we’re certainly learning a lot from ours.”
Local news from metronews.ca/vancouver
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