Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Kingston Pregnancy Care Centre will be expanding into Napanee in the new year, establishing an office in the lower level of the Downtown Napanee Business Hub located at 6 Dundas Street E.
Officially opening on Jan. 8, the centre will assist women and men facing unplanned pregnancies with practical help, emotional support and information about all their pregnancy options. The centre will be open every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
KPCC has been operating out of Kingston for over 30 years, with five to 10 per cent of their clients coming from the Napanee area. KPCC executive director Elizabeth Sacrey says they are opening a Napanee branch to become more accessible to Napanee area residents.
“It can be hard for young people to access services in Kingston if they can’t drive or they’re too afraid to tell their parents (about a pregnancy),” said Sacrey. “We saw a need to be in Napanee to help those who experience barriers to services because of transportation or family issues. After out strategic planning meeting in June with our board and staff we decided it was time to make this need a priority and expand services to Napanee.”
KPCC does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, creed, national origin, age, gender, sexuality or lifestyle of its clients.
“Anyone can come, we don’t share information with anyone, unless there’s a risk of harm,” said Sacrey. “Everything is confidential. People can come and get support and not have to worry about other people finding out or what other people might say. It’s just a safe place where people can come in and get information.”
There will be no time limit on any appointment, clients can talk with staff for as long as they need.
“We’re here to support (doctors and other health clinics),” said Sacrey. “They might not have the time to sit down for an hour with someone, but we do. We just want to be that support to the health care system and offer extra support when needed.”
The clinic isn’t just geared towards teens, as 40 per cent of their clients are over the age of 24.
“We will serve anyone, we even have grandmothers coming in wanting to get support for their grandchildren. We’re open to anyone,” said Sacrey. That includes men who want to get information for their partner.
Among the free services offered are pregnancy tests, options counselling, parental and parenting classes, mentoring, community referrals and post-abortion support.
The clinic will be staffed by paid staff as well as volunteers.