Child Protection Center Awarded Grant for Expanding Child Abuse Prevention Education

September 19, 2023 – Sarasota

The Child Protection Center (CPC) has received funding from the Libertore Fund for Children to assist CPC’s Personal Safety and Community Awareness (PSCA) program and their expansion into DeSoto County.

Currently, CPC’s PSCA program provides no-cost primary prevention and educational programs on child abuse and maltreatment throughout Sarasota County. Workshops introduce children to basic personal safety information, promote pro-social behaviors, and teach self-protective skills, all of which reduce a child’s vulnerability to abuse and exploitation.  Highly trained educators facilitate each of the workshops. PSCA also functions as a crucial entry point for a child victim to intervention and treatment services CPC offers.

“The pain and suffering of the individual child abuse victim are immeasurable,” says Douglas Staley, CPC’s Executive Director. “Failure to prevent child abuse results in a loss of individual potential, more community resources spent to meet intervention and treatment needs, and a continuation of the cycle of suffering brought on by childhood trauma and victimization. Not only is the individual child’s life impacted, but there is also a tremendous economic and societal cost to the community associated with these issues.”

This grant, generously awarded by the Libertore Fund for Children, provides essential funding for PSCA’s planned expansion into DeSoto County public and private schools, faith-based and civic organizations, and other organizations providing care for children, such as sports leagues, youth camps, and after school care.

The Child Protection Center’s mission is the Prevention, Intervention, & Treatment of Child Abuse, as the organization envisions a community where children are safe from abuse and free to thrive. For over 40 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 book a personal safety workshop, visit www.cpcsarasota.org or call 941-365-1277.