4th Quarter Newsletter
June 30, 2023
About the Florida Network of Children's Advocacy Centers
Accredited by National Children's Alliance (NCA) as the State Chapter of Florida, the Florida Network of Children's Advocacy Centers (FNCAC) is a membership organization representing the 28 Child Advocacy Centers (CAC) throughout Florida.
CACs are child-focused centers that coordinate the investigation, prosecution, and treatment of child abuse and neglect while helping abused children heal. CACs emphasize the coordination of investigation and intervention services by bringing together a multidisciplinary team to create a child-focused approach to child abuse and neglect cases. CACs are effective, hold offenders accountable, help child victims heal, and promote best practice by all of our MDT Partners.
In addition, the FNCAC and CACs are tasked with providing technical assistance, training, education and prevention outreach to members of their local communities.
Together, the CAC Movement in Florida is positively impacting victim services to child victims throughout the state and improving outcomes for kids and their families.
What is a Children's Advocacy Center?
A Children's Advocacy Center (CAC) is a child-focused, facility-based program in which representatives from core disciplines collaborate to investigate child abuse reports, conduct forensic interviews, determine and provide evidence-based interventions, and assess cases for prosecution.
Florida Network of CACs: CAC Movement Video
May was both Mental Health Awareness and Drowning Prevention Month Check out some resources below:
Whale Tales: Water Habits Are Learned Early Meet Longfellow!
His WHALE Tales are short, engaging and age-appropriate videos that teach important water safety topics. Each episode centers on a memorable rhyming phrase to help children retain what they've learned.
Content is designed for Kindergarten through second graders, as well as for third through sixth graders. Encourage your child to watch the video, do the activity sheet for their age group, and then take a quick 3-question quiz to help them demonstrate what they've learned and take pride in their new knowledge! A parent & caregiver guide is available to help you enhance their learning.
Please note: younger children may need help printing the activity sheets and reading the quiz questions.

Additional water safety resources may be found here. 
Child Abuse Prevention Month & Victims Rights Week 2023
This year, CACs in Florida hosted events, received proclamations, and shared messages via social media promoting great childhoods and bringing tools for all adults to help prevent child abuse. We hope you were able to participate in your local communities! #CAPmonth
Our Executive Director, Luzed Cruz, participated in the Lauren's Kids 42-hour walk for victims of sexual assault. Thank you to our partners in prevention, Lauren's Kids, for hosting this event and inviting us to participate.
Remember, child sexual abuse is preventable. We can all be a part of eradicating it!
Member Spotlight
Emerald Coast Niceville CAC re-opened on May 5th, 2023!
Last summer our friends at Emerald Coast CAC experienced a fire and flood. Almost a full year later, they have rebuilt and are fully operational again. Congratulations to the entire team at the CAC and their community partners. Check out the before & after photos below!

Member Spotlight
Opening of the NEW Children's Advocacy Center Osceola
On April 12, 2023, the community celebrated the official opening of the new CAC Osceola facility with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The Osceola County Board of Commissioners’ made a tremendous investment in the local CAC community which offers children and families the most compassionate and private space to find hope and begin healing following abuse discovery. The facility opened March 13, 2023, and children and families who visited the CAC in the first month of operations have commented on how valued they feel having this space in their home community with access to CAC services at a time of crisis.
Resources for Parents & Families
Adolescents, Porn, and Mental Health: Understanding the Dangerous Effects of Porn on Developing Minds
From Culture Reframed May 22, 2023

The chances of a young person watching porn today — on purpose or by accident — are very high. In a recent report by Common Sense Media, three-quarters of teenagers admitted to viewing pornography by the age of 17. The average age of first exposure is 12. Of those surveyed, nearly 60 percent say they first stumbled upon pornography by accident.

What happens to an impressionable young mind when consuming sexually explicit material? Exposure to pornography can significantly impact a child’s development and mental health. Read more to learn how pornography affects the adolescent brain and the dangers it poses to the psychological and emotional well-being of developing young minds.

Pornography and the Adolescent Brain
Decades of research show that pornography has harmful effects on the emotional, psychological, and social well-being of adolescents. During this critical time of development, young people experience significant social, cognitive, biological, and psychological changes. 
Pornography alters the brain, no matter the age of the viewer. It stimulates the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that allows us to feel pleasure. When engaging with pornography, the brain is overwhelmed with unnaturally high dopamine levels. This can alter the brain’s reward circuitry and impact its natural ability to produce that feel-good neurotransmitter. This can negatively impact mood and personality, contributing to feelings of isolation, depression, and anxiety. 

How to Protect Children From Pornography
As parents and caregivers, we can protect our children and teens from the harms of pornography by helping them build resilience to sexually explicit content. Having open and honest conversations is critical. The resources provided in our free courses for parents offer guidance on how to broach the subject. Our step-by-step guide will help you develop the confidence to support young people as they navigate the tricky terrain of hypersexualized culture.

Explore our Program for Parents of Tweens, aimed at parents and caregivers of kids aged 9 to 12 years old.
Explore our Program for Parents of Teens, designed for parents and caregivers of kids aged 13 to 18 years old.
FNCAC Highlights!
There's Still Time to Register for KAK!

The 2023 Krimes Against Kids Conference is scheduled for July 26-28, 2023, at the WYNDHAM GRAND ORLANDO RESORT BONNET CREEK. Registration for this year's conference is now open! Visit the Registration link: https://cvent.me/gOn1GB
for more details or to register for the Krimes Against Kids Conference..

If you have additional questions about the event, please email Jim Jolley at jjolley@fncac.org.

We are excited to announce that this year, in addition to the regular tracks, our partners with the FBI will be offering two full days of forensic interviewer training for forensic interviewers, law enforcement, and prosecutors! CEUs are available for this conference and are included with conference registration.
Collaboration is Key!


FNCAC Staff Partners With Zero Abuse Project!
In this month's episode of "CASTing Call," the Zero Abuse Project featured the Florida Network of Children's Advocacy Centers! Learn how you can get involved in your local CAC to provide children of abuse or neglect with medical exams, interviews, and critical services in a non-threatening and child-friendly environment. Contact Zero Abuse Project for information on bringing CAST to your communities!

Watch the video below!
Impacting the Child Welfare Workforce, Upstream:
The Florida Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers (FNCAC) collaborates with many partners to bring the best possible results for children and families served by the 28 Children’s Advocacy Centers in Florida. Over the last few years, Statewide Training Coordinator, Jim Jolley, has worked alongside representatives from the University of South Florida (USF), Florida State University (FSU), Zero Abuse Project, and the Florida Institute for Child Welfare (to name a few) to bring Child Advocacy Studies Training (CAST) to our colleges and universities in Florida!

CAST focuses on developing students’ understanding of the factors that lead to child maltreatment and the currently existing responses to incidents of child abuse and neglect, so they work more effectively within multiple systems and institutions that respond to these situations. 


Florida State University is piloting a program called Project Wake Up!
The FNCAC is proud of the work of our partners and looks forward to continuing collaboration and implementation of problem-based learning simulation training to professionals in child-welfare. Together, we can impact our workforce and build a stronger, more resilient system of care for children and families in need. For more information on CAST & FORECAST, please email jjolley@fncac.org