BROOKLYN PARK — A 50-bed child psychiatric hospital has opened in the Twin Cities suburb of Brooklyn Park, replacing a 20-bed facility opened four years earlier in Maple Grove.

The PrairieCare hospital opened Tuesday and will begin admitting patients on Sept. 8. PrairieCare CEO Dr. Joel Oberstar said patients were frequently turned away due to capacity, and they would have to wait in emergency departments around the state.

The new facility adds more than 20 percent to the state’s bed capacity for child and adolescent psychiatric care.

Jennifer DeCubellis with the state Department of Human Services said the new facility fills a need in Minnesota, and that it’s “critical” for patients to be close to family.