941-345-1200

Prevention Services

Prevention Services

Prevention Services: TRUTH, GAP, KIDS Personal Safety, FPRP, and BRIC 

Since 1993, Manatee Children’s Services has offered nationally accredited programs with the mission of preventing child abuse, providing caregiver support, educating at-risk youth, and promoting healthy family functioning.  

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Teens and their families face complex challenges in today’s world, including personal safety, human trafficking, social media pressures, pregnancy prevention, communication, and healthy relationships. Through the TRUTH program, our Family Advocates mentor and educate youth ages 10 to 17 and their families, equipping them to make safe, healthy decisions.

At the heart of TRUTH is a focus on teen pregnancy prevention, as children of teenage mothers face higher risks of abuse due to stress and socioeconomic challenges. For the year ending September 30, 2024, youth in TRUTH achieved a 100% success rate in remaining free of first-time or repeat pregnancies within 18 months of completing the program.

GAP is a prevention program designed to support kinship caregivers (grandparents, aunts, uncles, or other relatives) who step in to raise children removed from unsafe homes due to abuse or neglect. The program provides mentoring, resources, and a caring community to help families stay strong and stable.

Services include support groups with guest speakers, parenting workshops, counseling, peer groups for children, advocacy, community resources, holiday food drives, warmline support, and referrals. The goal is simple yet powerful: to keep children safe, prevent foster care placement, and ensure caregivers have the tools they need to succeed.

For the year ending September 30, 2024, 94% of the 143 families served through GAP remained stable, abuse-free, and avoided entry or re-entry into foster care. The remaining families achieved reunification with parents after completing their case plans or were placed with other relatives.

“This group is an amazing team that goes above and beyond to make sure we are all cared for and doing OK,” said a client in our program who was raising her grandchildren off and on since birth. “GAP Advocates helped me through some of the hardest days of my life.”  

KIDS Personal Safety delivers age-appropriate workshops to children in Manatee County schools, focusing on identification and prevention techniques to help protect them from abuse and threats to their well-being.

Our trained KIDS Advocates use engaging tools such as puppets, stories, videos, music, and role-playing to connect with young children. These interactive presentations are designed to help children recognize and remember the signs of abuse in a safe and supportive environment.

For the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, KIDS Personal Safety conducted 672 presentations, reaching 13,474 students across Manatee County. As a result of these efforts:

  • 547 children were empowered to report abuse or threats to their personal safety
  • 21 children reported incidents of bullying
  • 10 children initiated formal abuse reports

Our team provided follow-up support to all 21 children who reported bullying and assisted all 10 children in filing reports with the Florida Abuse Hotline.

“The KIDS Personal Safety lessons have had a great impact on our school by bringing forth those children who were too scared to speak up about bullying. It is so important to teach kids to report bullying if they see it or hear about it and hopefully creating a safe environment for all children in our elementary school.” – Manatee County schoolteacher (anonymous)

Through BRIC, a 16-week Nurturing Parenting Program, caregivers work with a parenting specialist or therapist to create individualized plans for success tailored to their family’s needs. All participants complete Darkness to Light: Stewards of Children, a nationally recognized sexual abuse prevention and personal safety training.

Through FPRP, families in the process of reunification receive parenting education in both English and Spanish. Each family partners with a parenting coach to develop a success plan, with the goal of meeting all objectives within three to nine months.

Our programs empower parents to:

  • Increase parenting knowledge
  • Decrease stress
  • Identify and build on strengths
  • Access community support and resources
  • Gain skills that reduce the risk of child abuse in the home

Impact:
For the year ending September 30, 2024, 97% of at-risk parents (117 out of 121) in our programs successfully maintained homes free from verified child abuse findings at 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months of parenting education.

How to help our prevention programs

  • Art and recreational supplies for family bonding (craft kits, board games, building kits, etc.) 
  • New socks, shoes, and underwear (all sizes) 
  • School uniforms (all sizes) 
  • New household items for reunified families (dishes, bedding, and furniture) 
  • Gift cards for children and families to purchase personal items 
  • Gift cards for family experiences/outings 
  • Gift cards for groceries and gas 
  • General monetary donations for unrestricted funds to support program operating expenses 

MCS provides a full spectrum of programs serving over 12,000 children and families annually. Since its inception in 1977 as the Manatee County’s first and only emergency shelter for abused children in foster care, MCS has grown to offer programs in treatment, prevention, intervention, and residential services.  

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MANATEE CHILDREN'S SERVICES, INC. IS A 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT CORPORATION. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE 1-800-435-7352 (OR 1-800-352-9832 EN ESPAÑOLA) OR GOING ON THE DEPARTMENTS WEBSITE WWW.FLORIDACONSUMERHELP.COM. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. ONE HUNDRED PERCENT (100%) OF EACH CONTRIBUTION IS RECEIVED BY THE MANATEE CHILDREN'S SERVICES, INC. REGISTRATION #CH5547

Manatee Children's Services, Inc. complies with applicable statutes and regulations prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, handicap, age and religion. Accessibility/availability of services for persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, visually impaired or non-English speaking are provided. MCS also affirms its commitment to providing equal opportunities and equal access to agency facilities. For additional information contact Manatee Children's Services, (941) 345-1200. 

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Address:
1227 9th Avenue West
Bradenton FL, 34205

941-345-1200
info@mcsfl.com

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