Friday, Hillsborough Sheriff David Gee welcomed guests to the new offices of the Child Protective Investigations Division at 1501 N. Falkenburg Road. Investigators and support staff moved in during October, but the finishing touches were just recently completed.

In July, the sheriff's office accepted state lawmakers' request for the agency to assume child abuse investigations in the county from the Florida Department of Children & Families with a caveat:

Give us the resources to do it right and we'll take care of our children.

The unit has an annual budget of $13.1 million, mostly for personnel costs. Legislators gave the sheriff an additional $2 million for startup costs, sheriff's Maj. Craig Latimer said. "That's for computers, desks, and everything you see here," he said.

The county bought the complex for $8 million, and the sheriff's office is leasing it with money collected from DCF and the state's criminal justice training trust fund.

The facility holds the playroom, sedate family interview rooms and enough offices for the division's planned staff of 100 investigators, 60 support staff and 25 state welfare workers. The site also has space for law enforcement classrooms and a fitness center.

When they arrive, children are given age- and gender-specific backpacks with clothes, shoes and games. A shower is available for them. If their clothes are dirty, the office has laundry facilities.

Guests at Friday's event included members of charities and agencies that work closely with investigators to serve at-risk families.

After taking a tour, Dan Casseday of the Children's Board of Hillsborough County said he was impressed.

"There seems to be a lot of thought put into the facility, from the area with clothes and backpacks the Junior League provides for children who need it, to the friendly atmosphere of the direct supervision playroom," he said.