Child Protection Center

The mission of the Child Protection Center, Inc. (CPC) is Child Abuse: Prevention, Intervention and Treatment. CPC envisions a community in which children are safe from abuse and free to thrive. 

The Child Protection Center, Inc. (CPC) was established in 1980. CPC initially provided only child abuse intervention services through the Child Protection Team (CPT). This program works together with the Department of Children and Families and Law Enforcement in the investigation of child abuse cases and also coordinates community-wide services for affected children.

In 1986, the need for services to help families and children recover from the effects of child abuse led CPC’s directors to approve development of the Sexual Abuse Treatment Program (SATP) to provide psychotherapy for children and families suffering from the trauma of sexual abuse.

In 1991, the services of CPT and SATP were extended to children abused by a non-caregiver – a population previously not served. Also in 1991, CPC’s Medical Director and Executive Director identified the need for a primary child abuse prevention program to teach children, parents, and care providers the attitudes, skills and behaviors necessary to keep children safe. The Personal Safety Education Program (PSEP) was planned and service provisions began in early 1992.

Knowing that responding to and treating early indications of aggressive behavior is essential to successfully break the cycle of abuse, the Kid Kindness Program (KKP) began providing psychotherapy in 1993 to children who exhibited such behavior or have abused other children.

Court ordered Children and Families Supervised Visitation Program (CFSVP) was begun in 1995 to facilitate visits between non-custodial parents and their children. These visits are supervised by extensively trained volunteers in a clean, safe and healthy environment for children.

The year 2006 brought about an expansion of PSEP to include Community Awareness to expand the knowledge and sensitivity of child abuse issues. This program is now called Personal Safety and Community Awareness (PSCA).

To successfully address the issue of child abuse, efforts in prevention, intervention and treatment must be implemented. The unique comprehensive continuum of services developed over the more than twenty-eight year history of the Child Protection Center, Inc. exemplifies such an effort.

The Grand Opening of the new CPC facility – The Child Advocacy Center dedicated to the memory of Shannon Nicole  - took place on April 22, 2010.

Read about our Grand Opening.