Why We Work Year-Round

National Child Abuse Prevention Month has just come to a close. Our inaugural Take a Stand against Child Abuse campaign successfully raised awareness about the pervasive problem. Thousands of Kentuckians in 11 cities either saw people of all ages in blue ribbon T-shirts standing up for child abuse victims or saw media coverage of the events. Sunrise and its supporters made the public pay attention – not just to the cases that make headlines, but to the silent plight of thousands of hurting kids.

I hope the spirit that led hundreds to hold “Stop Child Abuse” signs stays with us all – because our child abuse prevention efforts don’t happen during just one month. Children in crisis come to us for refuge every day.

A recent report sheds light on the struggles children in Kentucky face. “Geography Matters: Child Well Being in the States” by the Every Child Matters Education Fund examined 10 indicators of child well-being and where each state ranked.

Kentucky fared badly (42nd) in the rate of child abuse fatalities. There are three deaths for every 100,000 children. Children in the bottom 10 states in this category are 6.7 times more likely to die from abuse and neglect than the children in the top 10 states.

Twenty-three percent of Kentucky children live in poverty, tying the state for 41st in the country. However, Kentucky ranked 13th in per capita child welfare expenditures (nearly $89 per child). And the state’s best ranking (eighth) came in the rate of juvenile incarceration.

The report bluntly states: “Nearly 3 million children nationwide each year are reported abused and neglected. The problem claims the lives of thousands, ruins the lives of millions, and costs taxpayers more than $20 billion annually for child protection and foster care alone. Child abuse also causes another hundred billion to be spent on related issues of crime, prisons, mental health, special education, medical care, and drug abuse.”

That’s why we work hard, every day, to heal the wounds of young victims and break the cycle of child abuse in future generations. What are your thoughts on where Kentucky stands in the “Geography Matters” report?