The Child Protection Center

Keeping kids safe online starts with the basics — and these nine tips are a great place to start.

Save this for the next time you sit down with your child to talk about their online world. Small conversations about these habits now can make a big difference later. 💙

Find more internet safety resources at cpcsarasota.org/resources

Today, we celebrate all the wonderful dads, stepdads, grandfathers, and father figures who are filling their homes with love and safety for their kids!

Happy Father's Day from all of us at CPC! 💙

Earlier in June, the full CPC team gathered for our annual staff meeting. It was a full day of celebrating, learning, teamwork, and appreciation, all under the theme of “You Matter.”

Inspired by the Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s "You Matter" Kindness Campaign, the day was all about taking time to recognize the people behind CPC's work and the fight against child abuse. Every one of our staff members are dedicating their lives to protect kids, showing up time and again for families in crisis across Sarasota and DeSoto Counties. We could say “you matter” 1,000 times and it wouldn’t be enough!

We were also thrilled to honor Mireya Cedeno, a vital member of our Child Protection Team, by naming her Employee of the Year! Mireya is a truly outstanding advocate for children and has been one of the first touch points of safety for countless survivors. We are deeply grateful to have her on this team. 💙

Continuing the positivity that flowed throughout the entire meeting, we wrapped up the day with a team-building experience like no other — building charcuterie boards together! Thank you to our CPC Community Partners Circle for bringing this idea to life - Laurel Corriveau and Brent Alexander. It was the perfect way to connect, laugh, and celebrate as a team.

Finally, to our board members who joined us for the day — Nikki Williams, Freya Robbins, Tina Granthon, Ryan Featherstone — thank you for being there and for reminding our staff just how valued they are. Your presence means so much.

Did you know? Kids are at greater risk of online solicitation during times like summer break, when they have more access to their devices.

This is more true now than ever, with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children sharing that 2025 saw a 158% increase in reports of online enticement of children for s*xual acts compared to 2024. Their data also points to growing use of AI-generated imagery in child s*xual exploitation and a rise in financial s*xtortion cases targeting minors.

This is happening on the apps and platforms kids are using every day.

Teaching children internet safety skills is VITAL to ensure they know what to do if they come across an unsafe or uncomfortable situation online.

Here's what you can do:

👩‍🏫 CPC's free Internet Safety workshops are available year-round for children, caregivers, and community members. Our Personal Safety Team can help make these conversations interactive, engaging, and help you feel more confident with your children! To book one for your group, contact our prevention team at [email protected].

💻 Access free resources for your family: cpcsarasota.org/internet-safety

🚨 To report suspected online exploitation, Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM, commonly referred to as child p**n), or child s*x trafficking, go to report.cybertip.org or visit the link in our bio.

CPC has been named a finalist for the 2026 Best of Florida in the Charitable Organizations category — and we need your vote!

You can cast your vote once per day now through the end of July. We were honored to be voted in as a winner for the last two years and would love to keep this streak running! Your support means the world to us, and more importantly, it raises essential awareness that allows us to better support the children and families we serve.

Vote at https://guidetoflorida.com/sarasota/community-organizations/child-protection-center or through the link in our Instagram bio.

Thank you for standing with us. 💙

Summer is here and we're ready for a splashin' good time! ☀️💦

Whether your family will be making waves in the pool, at the beach, or with inflatables and a sprinkler in the backyard, a few simple habits can make all the difference in keeping your little ones safe.