AUGUSTA, Ga (WJBF)- Wednesday morning, Child Enrichment will host a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate its new building. The bigger facility is giving the organization significantly more space to help children from all over the CSRA.

The new Child Enrichment Center is open for business.

They used to have a waiting list of nearly 100 kids, but now it’s significantly less. They have moved in and been using the space for about a month now, which they say is helping them move through that long list more quickly.

The new building is 16 thousand square feet- about 4 times bigger than the old building. It has two forensic interview rooms, seven therapy offices, two advocate offices and a medical exam room.

Child Enrichment’s Executive Director, Kari Viola-Brooke, told NewsChannel 6 that the move has been exciting, and not just for the staff.

“We provide free therapy services. So we have some kids that were receiving therapy in the old building and now they’re receiving therapy in our new building. So, it’s just so incredible to see them kind of come in for their session and be in this space that really is a nicer space,” said Viola-Brooke. “And it kind of just shows them that they’re worth it and they deserve to have a nice, clean environment where they have to talk about some pretty horrible things.”

Viola- Brooke said Child Enrichment serves thousands of kids in the CSRA and lack of space was a huge problem that they no longer have.

“We utilize a lot of interns from the counseling program at Augusta University, so we had the staff to provide these free, really needed, therapy services. We just didn’t have the space, which was so incredibly frustrating from, a leadership stand point of – we have the people. we just don’t have anywhere to provide the service. So, now, having that has been key,” she explained.

The ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at Child Enrichment on Walden Drive in Augusta on Wednesday morning at 8:30.

Photojournalist: Will Baker.