Child Protection Center Awarded $5,000 Grant
December 22, 2020
Child Protection Center Awarded $5,000 Grant- J. Milton & Nellie E. Hoffa Memorial Foundation grants funding for the Child Protection Team
The Child Protection Center (CPC) recently received a $5,000 grant through the generosity of the J. Milton & Nellie E. Hoffa Memorial Foundation to support CPC’s Child Protection Team (CPT).
The Child Protection Team is a legislatively mandated program working in partnership with Child Protection Investigators (CPIs) of the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) and local law enforcement agencies in cases of children who are suspected victims of sexual abuse, physical abuse and neglect. This multidisciplinary program provides expertise in evaluating allegations of abuse and neglect, assessing risk factors, and providing recommendations for interventions to protect children. Services provided by CPT include forensic interviews, psychological and psychosocial assessment, forensic medical assessments and court testimony. CPT is the only provider authorized by the state to perform these functions in Sarasota and DeSoto Counties and historically provides services to 700 children a year.
The funding from this grant, titled “Hearing the Voice of Children,” will support services provided by the Child Protection Team. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Team has seen an increase in sexual abuse cases and are providing more services on fewer children as the severity of the cases has increased.
In previous years, the J. Milton & Nellie E. Hoffa Memorial Foundation has supported the Child Protection Center through its Therapy Programs, which serve children who have been physically and sexually abused as well as children exhibiting problematic sexual behaviors. The Foundation focuses its giving on nursing education, rehabilitation for handicapped children and adults, and health.
The Child Protection Center’s mission is the Prevention, Intervention, & Treatment of Child Abuse. CPC has been serving Sarasota & DeSoto Counties since 1980. In fiscal year 2020, The CPC provided 66,698 services to individuals. For more information on CPC, please call 941-365-1277.