COVINGTON — On August 20, 2026, Children’s Advocacy Center – Hope House celebrated the grand opening and ribbon-cutting of Brooke’s Place at the Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust Campus, a major expansion of the organization’s Covington headquarters. Located directly next door to Hope House’s existing facility, the new building will give child abuse victims and their families greater privacy, comfort and access to critical services when they need them most.
The 2,200-square-foot facility represents an $800,000 investment in Hope House’s ability to respond to a growing number of child abuse cases across St. Tammany and Washington parishes. In 2025, Hope House served 643 children and provided 3,060 free counseling sessions to children and their non-offending caregivers. Brooke’s Place includes three dedicated spaces for therapy rooms, a forensic evidence collection suite, and a training room. The building will also accommodate Hope House’s new junior advisory board, comprised of local high school students who will provide valuable insight and feedback that will help the organization better serve its children.
”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,” said Hope House Executive Director Thomas Mitchell. “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 as part of a multidisciplinary response to child abuse. In the existing headquarters, multiple families and agencies have sometimes needed to wait on one another when forensic interviews were scheduled at the same time. Brooke’s Place will allow multiple interviews and related casework to occur simultaneously while preserving the child-centered environment, confidentiality and coordination each case requires.
The expansion allows Hope House to immediately increase therapy sessions available to child abuse victims. Additional training space will also support community education and abuse-prevention programs for parents, educators, professionals and other adults who serve children.
The building 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 loved children and celebrations, and she was known for remembering everyone’s birthday. The Brooke It Forward Foundation carries that spirit forward by assembling colorful “Birthday Boxes” so children who have experienced abuse or foster care can feel seen and celebrated, often for the first time.
The Foundation delivered its first 20 Birthday Boxes to Hope House on June 12, 2019, which would have been Brooke’s 20th birthday. Since then, Brooke It Forward and Hope House have built a close partnership centered on restoring joy, dignity and hope to children during difficult seasons of their lives.
“Brooke loved children, and she loved making people feel special,” said Marie Gregory, founder of the Brooke It Forward Foundation. “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.”
Hope House launched the expansion campaign in 2024 as the organization commemorated its 30th year of serving children and families. The project was made possible through generous support from the Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust, the IJN Foundation (In Jesus’ Name), Senator Patrick McMath, the Brooke It Forward Foundation and numerous foundations, businesses, families and individual donors from across the community.
MSH Architects served as architect for the project, CM Combs served as contractor under the leadership of Chris Combs, and Elizabeth Menville Design helped shape the building’s child-centered interior. Hope House recognized these partners during the grand opening, along with the many other donors and community supporters who helped bring the project to completion.
Brooke’s Place will begin serving children and families immediately. Hope House services are provided free of charge to children and families.