KEY TAKEAWAYS: Hope House opened an $800,000, 2,200-square-foot expansion of its Covington headquarters. Brooke’s Place adds therapy rooms, a forensic evidence collection suite and training space. Hope House served 643 children and provided 3,060 free counseling sessions in 2025. The expansi on will allow simultaneous forensic interviews and increase therapy and prevention programs.   Children’s Advocacy Center – Hope House has opened an $800,000 expansion of its Covington headquarters, adding space for forensic interviews, therapy and child-abuse prevention programs as the nonprofit responds to growing demand for its services in St. Tammany and Washington parishes. The organization held a grand opening and ribbon-cutting Thursday for Brooke’s Place at the Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust Campus. The 2,200-square-foot facility is next to Hope House’s existing headquarters and will begin serving children and families immediately. The expansion includes three dedicated therapy spaces, a forensic evidence collection suite and a training room. Hope House said the additional space will allow multiple forensic interviews and other casework to take place simultaneously while providing greater privacy for children and families. Hope House served 643 children in 2025 and provided 3,060 free counseling sessions to children and their nonoffending caregivers, according to the organization. Its services are provided at no cost to families. “When a child finds the courage to speak about abuse, that child should not have to wait for a room to become available or sacrifice privacy because several agencies need the same space at once,” Hope House Executive Director Thomas Mitchell said. “Brooke’s Place gives us room to respond more quickly and more thoughtfully, with simultaneous forensic interviews, additional therapy space and more opportunities to equip our community to recognize and prevent abuse.” Hope House works with local law enforcement, the District Attorney’s Office and the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services on child-abuse cases. The nonprofit said scheduling conflicts at its existing facility have sometimes required families and agencies to wait when multiple forensic interviews were scheduled at the same time. The new facility is expected to alleviate those space constraints while allowing Hope House to immediately increase the number of therapy sessions available to children who have experienced abuse. The building also provides additional space for community education and abuse-prevention training for parents, educators, professionals and others who work with children. Brooke’s Place will accommodate a new junior advisory board made up of local high school students. Hope House said the students will provide feedback intended to help the organization better understand and serve the needs of children. Hope House launched the expansion campaign in 2024 as it marked its 30th year serving children and families. Funding came from the Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust, IJN Foundation, state Sen. Patrick McMath, the Brooke It Forward Foundation and other foundations, businesses, families and individual donors. The facility is named in memory of Brooke E. Posey, the late daughter of Brooke It Forward Foundation founder Marie Gregory and her husband, Todd Gregory, and of Ernest M. Posey and his partner, Melissa Corass. Brooke It Forward has worked with Hope House since 2019, when the foundation delivered its first 20 “Birthday Boxes” to the organization. The boxes are assembled for children who have experienced abuse or foster care. “Brooke loved children, and she loved making people feel special,” Gregory said. “To know that her name will now welcome children into a place created for safety, healing and hope is deeply meaningful to our family. Brooke’s Place is a beautiful reflection of her heart, and we are grateful that her legacy will continue to touch children and families for years to come.” MSH Architects designed the expansion, and CM Combs served as contractor under the leadership of Chris Combs. Elizabeth Menville Design worked on the facility’s interior. Hope House is an independent nonprofit serving St. Tammany and Washington parishes. The organization provides forensic interviews when allegations of child abuse arise, along with counseling and other services for children and families. ...read more read less