The Child Protection Center Celebrates 45 Years in the Fight Against Child Abuse

?The Child Protection Center (CPC), a local nonprofit and nationally accredited Child Advocacy Center, has reached a milestone anniversary of 45 years.

Since opening its doors in 1980, CPC has made a lasting impact for children and families in Sarasota and DeSoto Counties through its mission: to prevent child abuse, to intervene on behalf of abused children, and to treat survivors of child abuse. The organization has helped hundreds of thousands of children find safety and hope through its essential programming and services led by a multidisciplinary team of experts.

The Personal Safety and Community Awareness Program (PSCA) provides indispensable child abuse prevention education. PSCA is Florida's longest tenured prevention program and has reached 800,000+ children and adults throughout its history.

The Child Protection Team (CPT) is a state-mandated program that is available 24/7 to assist families in crisis. CPT facilitates medical examinations, forensic interviews, and court testimonies in child abuse cases. Locally, CPT is the only authorized provider of these services and responds to over 3,200 reports every year.

The Children and Families Supervised Visitation Program (CFSVP) provides a safe, neutral environment for non-custodial caregivers to rebuild relationships with their child, reducing the risk of violence to children. This program is made possible through a team of over 50 volunteers.

CPC's Therapy Programs help both children and adult survivors of child abuse live a healthy, restored life after their traumas. CPC is the only local no-cost provider specialized in child physical and sexual abuse treatments and consistently ranks as one of the top performing Sexual Abuse Treatment Programs in the entire state.

Over the past 45 years, CPC has earned a strong reputation as torchbearers and experts in the fight against child abuse, presenting to fellow child safety professionals at national conferences, leading conversations with policy-makers in Washington DC, and receiving requests from Child Advocacy Centers across the country wishing to emulate their work. The organization has been previously named Nonprofit of the Year by both the Sarasota and Venice Chambers of Commerce and has been recognized amongst the Best of Florida, Best of SRQ, and Best of North Port.

“We are overflowing with gratitude for this community and all that you've made possible these past 45 years,” says Douglas Staley, who has served as CPC’s Executive Director since 2011. “Your support is the foundation that's made these 45 years not only possible, but a resounding success. We can’t thank you enough for helping these children as they walk their path of healing, find their courage, reclaim their voice, and live full and healthy lives.”

How to make a difference:

• To get involved in CPC’s ongoing expansion at its Campus of Healing or to learn more about an upcoming Community Rally (Sept. 25th) in North Port, contact Capital Campaign Manager Elizabeth K. Topp at ElizabethT@CPCSarasota.org or 941-286-8844.
• Attend our popular Fall event, Night of Hope & Healing, taking place Thursday, Nov. 6th at the Venice Community Center with tastings from 10+ restaurants. Visit ?cpcsarasota.org/events?? for info.
• Sarasota residents can book FREE Personal Safety workshops on 20+ topics, including Internet Safety and Sexual Abuse Prevention. Contact MichelleB@CPCSarasota.org for info.

The Child Protection Center’s (CPC) mission is the prevention, intervention, and treatment of child abuse, as the organization envisions a community where children are safe from abuse and free to thrive. For 45 years, CPC has been serving Sarasota and DeSoto Counties in the State of Florida and is accredited by the National Children’s Alliance. For more information on CPC or to inquire about ways to get involved, please visit them at  www.cpcsarasota.org or call 941-365-1277.