Martin County Sheriff's Office teaches foster parents how to keep children safe online

New course offered to all parents

February 20, 2019

Stuart -

Parenting teens has never been a soft-pitch game. Throw in trauma and the curve-ball nature of social media, and today's foster parents are playing in a league of their own.

But thanks to the Martin County Sheriff's Office, they now have a new tool to help make things easier.

Representatives from the sheriff's office visited caregivers during last week's Martin County Foster Parent Association meeting, bringing with them a new course designed to help parents keep up with their children's safety online.

"We're here tonight to find out what your children are doing online," Corporal Brian Broughton said to the group of about 15 CCKids staff and foster parents, urging them to investigate their children's online presence.

Through the course, trainers encourage parents to check privacy settings, to know whether their children's online friends are friends in real life and to be wary of special apps designed to hide content.

"This is an important training for any parent, but there's a particular need among foster parents," said Jill Poole, CCKids Caregiver and Adoption Support Supervisor. "Children in foster care have experienced significant trauma and are more vulnerable to human trafficking and other crimes that are perpetrated online."

Any group of parents interested in learning more about online safety for their children can contact the sheriff's office and schedule a training.

For more information, call the non-emergency line of the Martin County Sheriff's Office at (772) 220-7000.

Interested in becoming a foster parent? Call Jerra Wisecup at (772) 249-3188 or click here. Or, if you are interested in being a Volunteer Child Advocate, call Nicole Hughes at (772) 785-5804.