At Kimberly’s Center for Child Protection, no child walks through a crisis alone. When a child enters our doors, what happens next can be overwhelming. That’s why it’s important to us to carefully coordinate a partnership between trained child welfare professionals and the law enforcement agencies who serve our community every day, built on one shared goal: Protecting children and helping them heal.
Before Children’s Advocacy Centers like Kimberly’s Center existed, children who experienced abuse were often interviewed multiple times by multiple agencies. This fragmented approach was not only retraumatizing for children, it also risked compromising the integrity of the investigation. Kimberly’s Center was founded on a better model, bringing all the right people together under one roof so children only have to tell their story once.
Every child’s path to Kimberly’s Center is different. Some are referred by law enforcement following a report of abuse. Others come through the Department of Children and Families. Some are identified as victims through online exploitation investigations. Regardless of how they arrive, every child receives the same coordinated, compassionate response, and every agency involved plays a critical role in making that possible.
Marion County Sheriff’s Office
Kimberly’s Center maintains a longstanding partnership with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. When the sheriff’s office refers a child to Kimberly’s Center, the Child Protection Team steps in to conduct trauma-informed forensic interviews, medical exams, and safety assessments, gathering information in a way that is both compassionate and legally admissible, supporting the investigation without retraumatizing the child.
Beyond individual cases, Kimberly’s Center and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office partner as part of the local Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force, a collaborative effort to identify, investigate, and arrest online predators targeting children in Marion County.
Last year:
- 1,150+ CyberTips were reported through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in Marion County
- Dozens of predators were arrested through proactive online sting operations before they could harm a child
When victims of online exploitation are identified, Kimberly’s Center provides forensic interviews, medical exams, and trauma-focused therapy to support their healing, because arresting offenders is only part of the work.
Ocala Police Department
Kimberly’s Center works in close partnership with the Ocala Police Department to ensure children referred by the Ocala Police Department receive the same coordinated, trauma-informed response as those served countywide. Officers refer children and families to Kimberly’s Center for forensic interviews, medical assessments, and advocacy services, ensuring that every child in Marion County has access to specialized care.
The Ocala Police Department also joins the Marion County Sheriff’s Office as a partner in the ICAC task force, working alongside Kimberly’s Center to investigate and respond to the growing threat of online child exploitation in our community.
Department of Children and Families (DCF)
Kimberly’s Center works hand in hand with the Department of Children and Families on two critical fronts. First, DCF refers children to Kimberly’s Center when abuse or neglect is reported, triggering the Child Protection Team’s coordinated investigative response, including forensic interviews, medical exams, caregiver interviews, and personalized safety planning.
Second, when a child must enter the foster care system, DCF and Kimberly’s Center work together to ensure that child is never left alone during the transition. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Kimberly’s Center’s Child Advocates meet the emotional and physical needs of children while they wait for their first foster care placement.
Last year, 76 children were supported through this foster care transition process, each one cared for, comforted, and connected to resources during one of the most uncertain moments of their young lives.
The Courts and Prosecution
Our work does not end when a case moves into the legal system. The Child Protection Team provides expert court testimony to support the prosecution of offenders to ensure that the forensic interviews and medical evidence gathered at Kimberly’s Center are presented clearly, accurately, and effectively in the courtroom.
The Numbers Behind the Partnership
In the 2024-2025 year, Kimberly’s Center’s law enforcement partnerships produced the following results:
- 659 forensic interviews conducted with children
- 489 caregiver interviews to identify safety and protective capacities
- 508 medical assessments completed
- 283 personalized safety plans developed with children
- 76 children supported through foster care transitions
- 1,150+ CyberTips reported in Marion County through NCMEC
Protecting Marion County’s Children
When a community decides its children deserve the best possible response to the worst possible circumstances, it takes law enforcement officers willing to do the difficult work of investigation and prosecution. It takes forensic interviewers, therapists, medical professionals, and child advocates who show up every day for children in crisis. It also takes community support from donors, partners, and our neighbors to sustain this work year after year.
In Marion County, that community exists, and thanks to that support, children who have experienced abuse are healing, finding their voices, and reclaiming their futures.
Learn more about Kimberly’s Center for Child Protection, explore our services, or make a gift today to support this work at kimberlyscenter.org.