A Team That Works for Children, Youth & Families

Our Approach

Luna employs a multidisciplinary approach to support children, youth, and families affected by abuse. Bringing together more than 140 experts in a single, safe, and comfortable location, Luna facilitates seamless information sharing and case coordination. Our comprehensive response includes assessment, investigation, medical evaluation, therapy, support through the judicial process, and other victim support services. This integrated model ensures rapid response and access to essential resources, promoting healing and resilience.

Our History

Over a decade ago, a small group of community-minded leaders came together with an ambitious vision to transform how child abuse is understood and addressed in Calgary. It was a turning point for our community that required immense barriers to be broken down, large complicated systems to work together like never before, and a fearless commitment to continuous innovation and change. The result of that shared vision and the hard work and perseverance that followed is the Luna Child and Youth Advocacy Centre.

Since first opening our doors in 2013 (then as the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre), Luna has supported more than 18,000 children, youth, and families and is recognized as a centre of excellence throughout Canada and beyond.

What is a CYAC?

CYACs transformed how systems and communities address the issue of child abuse and support children and families.

The CYAC model was developed to respond to cases of child abuse that require a coordinated, multidisciplinary response, with an elevated level of collaboration, joint planning, integrated practice, and communication amongst multiple systems . Without CYACs, children and families would experience multiple entry points to large, complicated systems, increasing the risk of siloed responses that could result in breakdowns in transitions of care and services.

CYACs focus on evidence-based practices and ongoing training, constantly building the expertise and effectiveness of our multi-disciplinary teams in order to mobilize the strongest possible response for children, youth, and families so that they can heal and thrive.

Luna is one of nine Child and Youth Advocacy Centres in Alberta and more than forty across Canada.

We are one team.
Working together is what sets us apart! We bring our individual expertise and focus while relying on collaboration and partnership to ensure the best outcomes for the people we serve. We build trusting relationships with each other and those we serve by showing compassion, being respectful, and believing we all have strengths to contribute. In a trying field, we are there for one another.

We make a difference.
We are a beacon of hope for the people we serve, helping them to see their own strength and the possibilities of a brighter future ahead. We are a catalyst for positive change, approaching every interaction with compassion and empathy, and providing a safe space for those we serve to be heard, seen, and supported. We leverage and share our combined knowledge and expertise to build informed, engaged communities where everyone plays a role in keeping children and youth safe.

We are committed to diversity.
Our commitment to diversity is our promise to each other and the individuals and communities we serve. We believe in the inherent benefits of an inclusive and diverse organization that recognizes, embraces, and values all forms of diversity. We strive to remove barriers to inclusion in all aspects of our organization and service delivery, so that we may support, strengthen, benefit from, and contribute to the richness and complexity that is our community.

We strive for excellence.
We are innovators and strategic risk takers who challenge ourselves and each other so we can continue to grow and evolve as leaders in what we do. We are deeply committed to continuous learning and development, to research and evaluation, and to sharing our expertise and knowledge so we can have a greater impact on those we serve and our communities.