Support Kentucky Youth

Child Abuse still too prevalent

When I speak to churches and groups across Kentucky describing the prevalence and severity of child abuse and neglect in our state, I usually clarify my comments by telling the audiences these are actual cases in Kentucky.  The stories I tell are real, not a minister’s illustration stretched to make a point.  The crimes against innocent children I describe did not happen in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles or Dallas.  They actually happened in Kentucky and not necessarily in Lexington or Louisville, but from across the Commonwealth.  Child abuse is ubiquitous.  Children of all races and socioeconomic strata are victims.  They live and suffer down the street from our homes, churches and businesses. 

Calen McKinney, staff writer for Central Kentucky News Journal reports in the Sunday, April 22, 2007 edition, “The number of reported child abuse cases in Taylor County is up considerably.”  The 2000 census lists the total population of Taylor County at 22, 927 (almost the population of the Virginia Tech campus) with an average of only 85 people per square mile (Kentucky Atlas and Gazetteer).  Taylor County is anything but urban but the instances of reported child abuse and neglect, according to Heather Barnes, victims advocate at the Taylor County Attorney’s Office, has increased significantly the first three months of 2007.  Ms. McKinney’s article quotes Ms. Barnes reporting, “in January, February and March, there were 48 cased of reported child physical abuse and 15 reported cases of child sexual abuse.  For the same period last year, Barnes says, there were 11 reported child physical abuse cases and seven reported sexual abuse cases.”

This is not to suggest Taylor County is a dangerous place for children to live.  It is to suggest child abuse and neglect is as pervasive in Kentucky as it is everywhere else in our great country.  Kentucky averages 70,000 cases of abuse and neglect annually with over 7,000 children living in out-of-home care.  These statistics beg a basic question, “Why is it so difficult to get state houses and church houses to focus adequate attention and resources on these innocent, young victims among us?”

Update on lobbying efforts

Your calls and letters really did make a difference.  The needs of our kids are now on the front burner of Kentucky politics thanks to you.  Read the e-mail below for an update on our lobbying efforts.

Bill

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From: Michelle Sanborn [mailto:Michelle@childrensallianceky.org]

Subject: Advocacy At Work!

Wow! What an exciting time in the life of the Children's Alliance.  The reception held for Governor Fletcher and Secretary Birdwhistell on Friday, May 11 was a huge success.  Thank you to all those who could attend, the Governor appreciated your warm reception.  For those who could not make this event, you missed a great time.  Governor Fletcher, Secretary Mark Birdwhistell, Undersecretary Tom Emberton, Commissioner Mark Washington, Executive Officer Jeff Jamar and Legislative Director Rob Edwards were all recognized for their advocacy efforts and for supporting our services by funding a much needed rate increase for residential services.

The Governor again commended our "lobbying" efforts saying how impressed he was to see Children's Alliance representatives at the Town Hall Forums he hosted throughout the State.  Secretary Birdwhistell continued the accolades by sharing that at a recent meeting of community providers, Senator Dan Kelly stood up and encouraged other associations to learn from the advocacy efforts of the Children's Alliance.  Both the Governor and Secretary Birdwhistell, maintained that they understand our issue and want to support us in the coming year.  Our collective voice was heard and our efforts are making an impact!!!

Additionally, Gubernatorial Candidate Otis Hensley contacted the Children's Alliance this week to invite members to attend his press conference at the Capitol on Friday, May 18, and he earnestly said, "out of all the groups I met with during my campaign, your group impressed me the most."  Legislators, lobbyists and executive branch officials are all buzzing about the advocacy efforts of the Children's Alliance - we need to be proud! 

I can't stress enough how the grassroots efforts, Board Member Advocacy Council and our collective voice had an impact, but we must ALL work together!  Thanks so much for your active participation this year and we look forward to a dynamic 2008 Session.

Michelle Sanborn
Children's Alliance
420 Capital Avenue
Frankfort, KY 40601
502-320-6484
michelle@childrensallianceky.org

Tell us what you think about today's Courier-Journal article

In the Wednesday, May 2, 2007 edition of the Courier Journal reporter Peter Smith writes about our agency “forcing religion” on the children in our care.  Below is the link to the article, we invite you to read it and respond on our blog.  Thank you for your interest.

"Baptist Homes accused of forced religion: Dozens allege they were coerced"
The Courier-Journal, Louisville, KY, May 2, 2007

Help us break the cycle of abuse

April is National Child Abuse Awareness Month. 

The effort to educate the public of the tragedy of child abuse began in 1989. A grandmother tied a blue ribbon to her car antenna as a way to remember the loss of her grandson to child abuse and remind others of this national tragedy.  Today, the effort to educate the public to the ubiquitous problem of child abuse and neglect is a year long effort.

The abuse of children is not a new phenomenon.  Children have been used and abused in each generation.  With all the progress modern man has made, we have not been successful in eradicating this blight from our civilized society.  It is a growing problem for the post-modern man fueled in part by our increased addiction problems.

The children are often the real victims of addiction.  When parents manufacturing, selling or using drugs are apprehended, something must be done with their kids.  When the parents go to jail, the children often are placed in the child welfare system.  This is usually a safer, healthier place for children to live but far from the norm every child deserves. 

What should society do with these kids?  We have a moral obligation to care for these innocent victims.  If ever there is a group we as a community should rally together to support, the children of abuse and neglect is that group.

This April, remember the children standing in the shadows of life, the forgotten children of abusive parents.  Find a way to help them.  We have been serving abused and neglected children for decades at Sunrise Children’s Services.  Join hands with us as we reach out to these suffering children.

We want to hear from you!

What would you like to see appear on this blog?  Are there any questions you have about what we do or how we do it, or even the state of child care as a whole?  Use the comment field and let us know - comments can remain anonymous if you wish.  This is your chance to ask anything you've ever wanted to know but not had the opportunity to ask about Sunrise.

Our YouTube Debut

April is Blue Ribbon Month, also called Child Abuse Awareness Month.  The purpose of Blue Ribbon Month is for agencies such as ours to educate the public on the how to recognize the signs of child abuse, what to do about it, and how everyone is responsivle for helping to end child abuse.

We are debuting a series of public service announcements that are already running on television stations across the state of Kentucky and audio versions on local radio stations.  We hope to soon have versions on our website that can be downloaded and shown to groups at a higher resolution, but in the meantime, visit our website, http://www.sunrise.org, or our YouTube page, http://www.youtube.com/SunriseChildren to view our PSAs.  There are 30- and 60-second versions of the foster parenting PSAs and one 60-second general agency PSA.  After you view them, pass them on to your friends!  Let us know what you think by leaving us a comment.  Thanks!

Plea for help

Dear Members of the Kentucky Legislature,

Private providers who contract with the Department of Community Based Services cannot wait until July of 2008 to get an increase in reimbursement rates.  Here is a sample of why.

Susan is fifteen before she reports that her stepfather has been sexually abusing her for years.  She gathers the courage to report him only to find her mother sides with her husband even though she knows Susan’s accusations are true.  Child Protective Services remove Susan from the home while step-dad remains there with mom.  Susan feels angry, confused, betrayed and dirty.  The court awards The Department of Community Based Services temporary custody of Susan.  State social workers must find a place for her to stay, receive treatment and begin putting her damaged life together.  Where will DCBS place her?  They (DCBS) operate no residential facilities and Susan’s behaviors and needs are beyond the scope of a foster-family.  DCBS, as they have since the 1970’s, turn to the private provider community for a placement but find every bed for girls with Susan’s needs filled across Kentucky.  A placement must be found for Susan because she is now legally the responsibility of the Commonwealth.  They MUST place her somewhere.  Since there is no available bed for Susan in Kentucky, DCBS must send her out-of-state or place her in a very restrictive and expensive psych hospital bed.  Susan is victimized once again.

Why is there no bed for Susan?  Here is why.

• Because the private sector that provides the only resource of residential treatment in Kentucky for children like Susan have been under-funded for years.  Consequently, financial pressures force them to close their doors. (125 beds closed in January 2007)

• The current reimbursement rates for private providers were established by 1999 allowable cost reports and have not been adjusted since. (One rate was increased by only a few dollars once).

• Since 2000, the standards, accreditation requirements and regulations to care for state-agency-children have increased but the rates have remained the same.

• Since 2000, staffing ratios, all insurances, utilities, salaries, benefits, etc. have all increased dramatically.  Nevertheless, the daily per-diems paid to private providers remain the same.

• Since 2000, the numbers of children coming into the child welfare system have increased along with the numbers of them requiring extensive treatment due to substantiated abuse and neglect but the rates remain the same. ( 5,000 five years ago to over 7,300 today)

• Last fiscal year the costs of residential care for state-agency-children exceeded reimbursement by $12M.  Expenses increase annually but the rates have remained the same!

Why have private providers continued serving?  Because, for most of them serving hurting children is their mission.  They will care for the kids until their last dollar is gone.  Some providers have already spent their last dollar and closed their doors.

Private providers have reduced costs, increased care and collaborated with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to care for Kentucky’s at-risk, vulnerable and suffering children. Financial and regulatory issues have stretched many to the point of collapse.  More will no doubt be forced to cease serving.

We and other providers have been waiting, struggling and serving since 2000 without a rate increase.  I do not think many providers or the children they serve can wait until July of 2008 for relief.  The collapse of this vital child welfare infrastructure will be catastrophic for Kentucky.

So, what will we tell Susan if she has to go out-of-state after removal from her home, school, friends and family?  Sorry Susan, it was not a budget year.

The Federal Government will match the $7.5M requested for the DCBS “alternatives for children” increase with another $7.5M in federal monies.

Please!!  Fund the request for DCBS’ “alternatives for children” that was originally in HB 327.  The voiceless, at-risk children of Kentucky and those of us who care for them daily desperately need your immediate help.  Do not let what happened to “Susan” actually victimize another Kentucky child.

An open letter to Kentucky government:

Dear Kentucky Legislator:

All private providers collaborating with state government appreciate what you and others did last year for Kentucky’s at-risk children.  The reality is the dollars budgeted to begin this July are too little and much too late.

Private providers are not holding our hands out simply because we think there is extra money to pass out.  We are in a state of crisis making the child welfare infrastructure in Kentucky vulnerable to increased cost for out-of-state placements, more hospital placements and the possibility of a federal consent decree or class action litigation.  You can confirm our concerns with Secretary Birdwhistell.

Private providers care for almost one-half of Kentucky’s at-risk children living out-of-home.  The Commonwealth must have our services for the children of Kentucky in state custody.  Most of us serve this ever-increasing number of children whose levels of acuity have risen dramatically because it is our mission.  We will care for them until our last dollar is gone.  For some providers, that day has already come and if we have to wait until July 1, 2008, many others will not survive.

Think of our position in these terms.  Which Kentucky University today is charging calendar 2000 tuition rates and is still in business?  Private providers have not had a substantial rate increase since 2000 but the child to staff ratios’ have changed from 10:1 down to 6:1 increasing costs dramatically.  Everything to provide care for these children has increased but our reimbursements.   Last year, our allowable costs for residential care were $12M more than our combined reimbursements from the Commonwealth.  Remember, these children are the legal responsibility of the state and not private providers.

We all agree responsible parents should pay child support.  At best, the Commonwealth has paid 80% of the allowable costs as reimbursements to private providers.  Today, due to increased costs and regulations, most of us receive about 65% of our allowable costs to care for children who are legally wards of the state and the deficit increases each year.  We are not asking for back child support.  We are asking the legislature to step up and be responsible today with a rate increase that comes closer to paying actual costs for the children in state care.

We know there is a budget process to follow.  We also know this is not a budget year.  But, that will not matter to a child who not only is removed from her home because of substantiated abuse or neglect but is then sent out-of-state because there is no bed for her in Kentucky.  This will victimize the child again!  Please do not let that happen.  The children do not care if you open the budget or not.  Please put politics aside and do what is best for Kentucky’s vulnerable and suffering children however you can.  We cannot wait until 08!

Please call your legislator today!

The at-risk children of Kentucky and those of us who care for them cannot wait until July 1, 2008 for an increase in our per-diem rates.  We have been waiting for seven years!  Make this call if you have not done so already. 

You can make one call and ask for the other legislators to be copied with the same message. 

Take the time and make the call today!  Your call will make a difference.

The Legislative Message Line:

1-800-372-7181

and say

“My name is [state your name].  I live at, [give your address including your zip code]. Please adjust the budget to include $7.5 million State General Fund dollars which would bring an additional $7.5 million matching funds to Kentuckyto increase the DCBS Alternatives for Children Budget. Our request is necessary to resolve a statewide crisis and the children can’t wait for 2008”

Please call your personal legislators

&

House Speaker, Representative Jody Richards

Speaker Pro Tem, Representative Larry Clark

Majority Floor Leader, Representative Rocky Adkins

Majority Caucus Chair, Representative Charlie Hoffman

Majority Whip, Representative Rob Wilkey

Chair of Appropriations and Revenue Committee, Representative Harry Moberly, Jr.

This effort is essential in the success of our request. 

I know we have all been actively writing and contacting our legislators, but we must make this call to action CRITICAL!!!

Get your families, friends, donors, staff, and volunteers to make a call today!

We don’t need 100 calls, we need 1,000 calls!!!

This will work, but we MUST ALL call these leaders this week!

Snow!

Enjoy some pictures of our first real snow since moving in to the new facilities in Mt. Washington.