10 Feb Kentucky Continues to See Double National Rate of Child Maltreatment in Latest Report

Contact:
Mara Powell
mpowell@kyyouth.org

LOUISVILLE, KY – The latest national Child Maltreatment report, released last month by the Children’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, shows a total of 14,505 child victims of maltreatment in Kentucky during the reporting period (FFY 2024). While there has been a 13% reduction in child victims of maltreatment from 2020 to 2024, Kentucky continues to see nearly double the national rate (7.2 per 1,000) of child maltreatment at 14.1 per 1,000 children.

“We call on every Kentuckian to remain vigilant and aware of the role we all must play to protect children. Speak up when you see something. Offer help when you see parents struggling. Your care and compassion can save a child from enduring abuse and neglect and put them on the path to growing up healthy, safe, and joyful,” said Barry Dunn, president and CEO of Kosair for Kids, the founder and funder of the Face It Movement. 

Young children remain the most vulnerable as victims of abuse or neglect in the Commonwealth, with 30% of total victims under the age of four. Babies under the age of one account for the highest rate of victims (33.4 per 1,000 children), further emphasizing the urgent need to better support parents of young children during the challenging first year of parenthood. Additionally, despite representing a small percentage of children in Kentucky, children of two or more races had the highest rate of child maltreatment in the reporting year. 

By further breaking down the types of maltreatment experienced in Kentucky outlined in the report, the complexity of these cases becomes evident. Among substantiated cases, nearly one in six victims experienced multiple types of abuse or neglect – the maltreatment types experienced by the victims* are categorized as the following:

— 68.6% involving neglect
— 37.2% involving physical abuse
— 14.2% involving psychological maltreatment
— 10.1% involving sexual abuse 
— 3.4% involving medical neglect
— .4% involving sex trafficking
(*Data note: A victim who experiences more than one type of maltreatment is counted within each relevant maltreatment type.)

Understanding the risk factors of abuse and neglect gives advocates and leaders key insights into addressing and preventing child maltreatment. In Kentucky, nearly 60% of perpetrators of substantiated cases of maltreatment were the child’s mom or dad. The latest data highlights that drug (38.4%) and alcohol (17.2%) abuse were reported as prominent caregiver risk factors.

“In Kentucky, nearly two-thirds of substantiated cases of maltreatment were first-time victims, which means we have the clear opportunity to target prevention services and supports so incidents do not rise to the level of harm to a child. It also means that we have an urgent need for improvement in supporting victims and families after a substantiation of maltreatment, as one-third have previous child welfare involvement,” said Dr. Shannon Moody, Chief Policy & Strategy Officer of Kentucky Youth Advocates, the backbone organization of the Face It Movement.

Kentucky Youth Advocates and the Kosair for Kids Face It Movement are advocating to the 2026 General Assembly for state policy and budget priorities that ensure students have a safe learning environment that is free from abuse, stricter penalties around grooming, investments in supervised parenting time during child welfare involvement, and more. Track the progress of House Bill 4 and House Bill 102 at kyyouth.org/bill-tracker/.

Every adult in Kentucky is a mandated reporter of child maltreatment. If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, call the Child Protection Hotline at 1-877-KYSAFE1. View the full Child Maltreatment 2024 report at www.acf.hhs.gov/cb.

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About Kentucky Youth Advocates
Kentucky Youth Advocates believes all children deserve to be safe, healthy, and secure. As THE independent voice for Kentucky’s children, we work to ensure policymakers create investments and policies that are good for children. Learn more at www.kyyouth.org.

About Kosair for Kids® 
Kosair for Kids enhances the health and well-being of children by delivering financial support for healthcare, research, education, social services, and child advocacy. We envision a world in which children in need live life to the fullest. For more information, please visit kosair.org.

About the Face It® Movement
The Face It® Movement launched in 2013 as an initiative led by Kosair for Kids® in response to the number of child abuse deaths in the Commonwealth. Face It focuses on a three-pronged approach to addressing child abuse and neglect: promote best practices in child abuse prevention and intervention, build awareness and engage the community, and advocate for effective policies to improve the child welfare system. Learn more at faceitmovement.org.