2022 Policy Priorities

Face It is advocating for the following commonsense state policy changes that will help keep children safe:

• Eliminate “chain of command” reporting procedures within public and private agencies to ensure any disclosures of abuse are reported accurately, in a timely manner, and directly to the proper authorities.
• A gap in state law allows agencies, such as the county attorney, to report a suspected incidence of child abuse and neglect by an employee to their own agency. Closing this gap in reporting of suspected maltreatment will ensure the report of child abuse or neglect is properly communicated to the appropriate external agencies, not only the agency who employs the adult suspected of abuse, and investigated.
• Require coroners to notify within a 48-hour window and gather necessary information from law enforcement, the Department for Community Based Services, and the local health department upon the notification of the death of a child under the age of 18.

Face It is advocating for continued or increased investments in the following programs to keep kids safe and support families:

• The pediatric forensic teams based out of Kentucky’s medical schools, as well as the 15 Children’s Advocacy Centers across the Commonwealth, rely on state funding to provide critical services for all children who have experienced maltreatment. Allocating funding to support both of these programs – Pediatric Forensic Medicine and the Children’s Advocacy Centers – will allow for our most vulnerable children to get access to the services they need to heal and have their case investigated.
• The current rate of reimbursement for Pediatric Sexual Abuse Forensic Examinations (P-SAFE) does not adequately cover costs for these complex medical exams. Increasing the rate of reimbursement will allow these centers to adequately provide services and the level of care needed by pediatric sexual assault victims.
• When expectant parents have access to evidence-based home visiting programs like the Health Access Nurturing Development Services (HANDS) program early in their pregnancy, incidences of child abuse are lower and accessing adequate prenatal care increases. Protecting funding for the HANDS program to ensures this critical service is available to and utilized by new parents across Kentucky.
• A qualified and stable Department for Community Based Services workforce is the foundation of the child welfare system. By bolstering investments in recruiting and retaining qualified DCBS staff, Kentucky will increase chances of stability for families and permanency for children and promote smart fiscal outcomes for the state budget.
• Safety net programs, including SNAP, WIC, and K-TAP, play a critical role in making sure families struggling to make ends meet can have food to eat, cover basic needs, and access other supports and services needed to thrive. Protecting current funding for safety net program and ensuring they are not modified will help children access these critical supports.

View 2022 Face It Policy Priorities document (pdf)

2021

Extend the statute of limitations in cases of child sexual abuse – HB472 strengthens the statute of limitations timeframes for misdemeanor sexual abuse offenses from five to ten years to accommodate for delayed abuse disclosure.

2020

Support evidence informed programs that keep families safely together while they recover from substance abuse. – Increase of $31.5 million overall in DCBS budget.

Increase investments for professionals who respond to child abuse and neglect with forensic services and assessments. – Appropriation of $1.5 million in fiscal year 2020-2021 for DV shelters, rape crisis centers, and child advocacy centers to assist them with employer contribution rates for the Kentucky Employees Retirement System.

2019

Takes steps to align state law with the federal Family First Prevention Services Act including modifying background checks for child serving agencies – HB158 establishes a bill of rights for children in foster care.

2018

Ensures courts will have more complete information about alleged child abuse – SB137 keeps kids safer from abuse by allowing adults to whom a child has disclosed abuse to testify in court.

Keeps kids safe and improve how Kentucky responds to and supports families – HB1 provides adequate funding and improvements in how we respond to and support families and also increasing the independence and transparency of the Ombudsman’s office.

2017

Keeps kids safer from abuse when in settings with adults – SB236 closes gaps in background checks for public schools, youth camps, and in-home babysitters.

2016

Broadens the scope of a child’s testimony in court – SB60 allows courts to consider a child’s more generalized testimony about a pattern of abuse, known as a continuous course of conduct

2015

Equips all educators to know how to recognize and report child abuse – SB119 ensures all public school educators receive training about child abuse and neglect so they can help protect children.

Protects teens and children from effects of dating violence – HB8 extends protective orders to victims of dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. This protects many teens in dating relationships and children whose parents experience violence in dating relationships.

2014

Helps reduce child deaths from pediatric abusive head trauma – HB157 equips doctors with education on how to recognize early warning signs of pediatric abusive head trauma and intervene.

Secured funding for the child fatality review panel – Funding for the panel allows it to more closely review child abuse death tragedies and develop recommendations to help prevent future deaths from occurring.

2013

Advocated for a panel to reduce child abuse deaths – HB290 put into law the Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel to review child abuse deaths, improve practices in the child welfare system, and prevent future child abuse deaths.