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.
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.
2021
2022
The Child Protection Center expanded to a beautiful property in North Port and began providing services from this Campus of Healing. This expansion was to meet the increased demand for services that accompanied a population growth of over 200% since 2000 in North Port alone.
CPC’s Campus of Healing is a safe, private, and central space for the expansion of our services and support.
2024
The Avenue of Art, a self guided outdoor walking tour of over 200 painted sidewalk squares in downtown Sarasota, expanded to include the Child Protection Center. The paintings along CPC illustrate the innocence of childhood, several of which were created with the help of children.
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To report child abuse or neglect contact the Florida Abuse Hotline at:
1.800.962.2873
Child Protection Center Locations
Sarasota Office
720 South Orange Ave.
Sarasota, FL 34236
Phone: 941.365.1277
Fax: 941-953-7181
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North Port Office
Campus of Healing
5600 Peace River Road
North Port, FL 34287
To Contact Supervised Visitation
Phone: 941-423-1921
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Arcadia Office
222 N. Roberts Avenue
Arcadia, FL 34266
Phone: 941-365-1277
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