The Child Protection Center

CPC's own Danielle Hughes and Kriste Murphy of the Child Protection Team joined forces with Safe Place and R**e Crisis Center (SPARCC Sarasota) and Sarasota Memorial Health Care System staff to co-present best practices for responding to pediatric and adult sexual assault. This powerhouse group presented to ER nurses from DeSoto Memorial Hospital, who are frequently the first point of intervention for survivors.

The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant and their Victim Advocate joined later, further enriching the conversation, deepening cross-agency collaboration, and establishing a safer and more compassionate standard for handling these situations and supporting survivors and families in crisis.

"It was such a meaningful day!" Danielle said as she discussed the impact of so many different organizations and people coming together under a shared commitment — to show up for survivors and get it right 💙

Today, we honor the immense courage of those who have sacrificed everything to protect future generations and their right to a childhood of safety, freedom, and love. We remember you today and always 💙

An educated community is a safer one! Over the past 34 years, more than 900,000 children, caregivers, and professionals have been educated (free of charge!) in child safety through our prevention program.

CPC's Personal Safety & Community Awareness program (PSCA) is Florida's longest-tenured child abuse prevention program. Last year alone, our educators reached over 50,000 people across our community, empowering kids on topics such as body safety, bullying, empathy, internet safety, stress, and how to speak up when something feels wrong.

We ALL have the responsibility to keep kids safe, so this accessible knowledge and support doesn't stop at the school door. Workshops designed specifically to educate adults on protecting kids are available at no cost for your family, your workplace, your place of worship, or your neighborhood.

We can all play a part in stopping abuse before it happens. Book a free workshop at cpcsarasota.org/resources

A huge thank you to Sarasota County Schools for being partners in prevention!