About - Child Protection Center

A Brief History Of The Child Protection Center

A Walk Through The History Of The CPC

1978-1980

The Junior League of Sarasota conducted a Community Needs Assessment in 1978, which led to the establishment of the Community Coalition of Children and Families in 1980. It would later be named the Child Protection Center. CPC’s first services were child abuse intervention services through the Child Protection Team (CPT).

1986

Florida newspapers printed about the death of Shannon Nicole, an 18-month-old baby. Shannon was beaten until dead by her mother and stepfather, her body left in a bag outside of a hospital. Reading about this horrific tragedy lit a fire inside Graci McGillicuddy, who made it her life’s mission to ensure no other children would suffer as Shannon Nicole did. Graci Found hope at CPC.

There was a clear need for services to help children & families recover from the effects of child sexual abuse. This need was answered with the development of CPC’s Sexual Abuse Treatment Program (SATP), which began providing psychotherapy to victims and families suffering from the trauma of this abuse.

1986

1991-1992

In 1991, the services of CPT and SATP were extended to children abused by a non-caregiver – a population previously not served. The Personal Safety and Community Awareness Program (PSCA) was planned and service provisions began in early 1992. This child abuse prevention program was created to teach children, parents, and caregivers the skills and tools necessary to keep children safe.

1993

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 to children who exhibited such behavior or have abused other children.

The court ordered the Children and Families Supervised Visitation Program (CFSVP) to begin 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.

1995

2010

The Child Protection Center had the Grand Opening of its new and current facility, named The Child Advocacy Center. It was dedicated to the memory of Shannon Nicole.

The Pet Advocates Working in Sarasota (PAWS) began providing support to children in court with certified therapy dogs.

2010

The Pet Advocates Working in Sarasota (PAWS) began providing support to children in court with certified therapy dogs.

2015

The Child Protection Center was named Non-Profit of the Year by the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce.

2019

The Child Protection Center was named Non-Profit of the Year by the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce.

2020

The Child Protection Center celebrated 40 years of serving the community with its comprehensive approach to the prevention, intervention, and treatment of child abuse.

The Child Protection Center receives accreditation from the National Children’s Alliance (NCA) for Child Advocacy Centers across the United States.

Accreditation is the highest level of membership with National Children’s Alliance and denotes excellence in service provision.