All Kentuckians are mandated reporters. If you believe a child is being abused or neglected, call the Child Protection Hotline.
For contact information in other states, please visit our Report It page.
Child help: National Abuse Hotline:
1-800-4-CHILD
or 1-800-422-4453
Strengthen Kentucky’s efforts in child abuse and neglect prevention by investing in programs that keep kids safe and families together and making commonsense changes to state law that would protect kids and help kids who have experienced maltreatment heal
Eliminate the use of corporal punishment in schools to create safe and nurturing learning environments for students
Ensure adults providing K-12 educational instruction in the home setting meet minimum educational and safety requirements, and that the child being enrolled in homeschool has not received a truancy summons
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.