(POUGHKEEPSIE, NY)―In recognizing January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month, The Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse (CPCA) announced that it has been granted nearly $75 thousand from the National Children’s Alliance (NCA) to expand programming, support research, and strengthen relationships with community partners in response to child sex trafficking and child sexual abuse materials (CSAM).
“Child sex trafficking is happening in every community, not just major cities, and we need to be having important discussions with youth about this vastly underreported crime,” stated Marco D. Ingoglia, Executive Director for the CPCA. “While any child can be targeted by a trafficker, those who have experienced abuse, who lack support networks, or are marginalized by society are more at-risk. With youth spending more time online, this only creates additional concern.”
The Domestic Trafficking Victims Fund (DTVF) through NCA is awarded to Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) who are doing work to support the development, expansion, or enhancement of the full array of CAC services to victims of CSAM, including those victims of child sex trafficking.
The Personal Safety Program, a signature prevention program at the CPCA, is one of the key areas of focus in the grant. This program reaches Dutchess County students in grades Pre-K─8 and provides essential lessons utilizing Monique Burr Foundation’s evidence-based curriculum that teaches youth how they can keep themselves safe from abuse and bullying.
The funds from the grant will allow the program to employ staff with specific emphasis on reaching all middle schools grades 6─8 in Dutchess County. Currently, the CPCA only implements lessons for some middle school grade levels due to limited staff.
“We have already seen success with the curriculum from the schools we are in,” stated Ingoglia. “Our goal with the expansion is to connect with more teens and delve into further crucial conversations of healthy dating relationships, online safety, and trafficking.”
Last year, the Personal Safety Program reached 14,864 students in Dutchess County and responded to 285 disclosures of abuse and bullying.
Additionally, the CPCA will utilize funds to enhance services and protocols in the CAC to better support child victims of trafficking. Internally, CPCA programs plan to hold reciprocal training and establish policies creating a more seamless connection with preventative and support services. Outside the organization, the Dutchess County Human Trafficking Task Force and other community partners will provide expert analysis, feedback, and training to implement best practices when working with potential cases of CSAM and child sex trafficking.
“NCA has provided a great opportunity for us to combat the issue of child sex trafficking,” stated Ingoglia. “As we celebrate our 50th anniversary this year, The CPCA is eager to begin implementing our strategies to enhance our programming and strengthen our community relationships. We are well positioned to offer these incredibly vital services to our communities and consider inclusion of ‘anti-trafficking’ service delivery as a proud achievement of our expansion goals.”
About the Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse
Founded in 1973, The Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse’s mission is to prevent child abuse and maltreatment in the Mid-Hudson Valley. Each year, the CPCA serves approximately 15,000 children and adults through prevention programming, support services, and educational training.
