Kentucky ranks 4th in US for child maltreatment, advocates urge action

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Young children are the most at-risk to become victims of abuse or neglect in Kentucky, with 30% of current victims younger than four years old.

"It's heartbreaking to see what people will sometimes do to their own children," LaAnna Mraz said. "There are so many children out there who have no voice."

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and the latest national Child Maltreatment report shows Kentucky ranks 4th in the nation, with a total of 14,484 child victims of maltreatment in 2023.

Mraz has seen the tragic impact first-hand as a court appointed special advocate (CASA). CASA of the Heartland is nonprofit in Hardin County that advocates for abused children.

"I was at church, and one of the guys at church said there were 98 kids on the list waiting for a CASA volunteer," Mraz said while reflecting on why she became a CASA. "As a volunteer, I get to be their voice."

She said the list is now closer to 50 children. For many abused children, the CASA volunteers are the only constant adult presence in their lives.

"Our CASA volunteers are, a lot of the time, the one person who follows that child through the life of their case," Michelle Kail, Executive Director for CASA of the Heartland, said.

In her three years as a volunteer, Mraz has taken on six cases. Some were short while others have taken 18 months to two years.

"Their social workers have changes, their therapists have changes, their teachers have changes," Mraz said. "But I've been there."

However, the volunteers can't do it alone.

Advocates say Kentucky has some of the most powerful mandatory reporting laws in the country.

"If you're a person, then you are legally mandated to report suspected abuse," Dr. Melissa Currie, a child abuse pediatrician with Norton Children's, said. "Child abuse, unfortunately, is a significant problem here in Kentucky. Substance use is a contributor to child maltreatment."

Norton Children’s is raising awareness for Child Abuse Prevention Month by planting pinwheels at Norton Children’s Center for Safe and Healthy Kids.

The pinwheels represent recognition of the issue and symbolize hope for the future.

The space first opened in April 2024 and is staffed with doctors, nurses, a social worker and more to address abuse and neglect in Louisville kids.

"We have seen hundreds of kids in the clinic who otherwise either may not have been able to be seen by a child abuse assessment team or would have had to go to the hospital emergency department in order to get the services that they get here," Dr. Currie said.

While data shows the number of child abuse cases have gone down in the commonwealth, it’s still nearly double the national average. That means there's still work to do.

That's why state lawmakers passed several bills to protect more children over the last few legislative sessions.

Those bills range from requiring a statewide reporting system to intervening with services even when the child neglect does not meet the criteria for an abuse investigation.

In the last few days, Governor Andy Beshear signed House Bill 38, Senate Bill 120, and Senate Bill 169. These bills require school coaches to report signs of child neglect and abuse, allow the subpoena of online and social media records, and increase penalties for repeat protective order violators.

"We can't do it all, and we need those extra rules and guidelines in place to be able to help these kids," Mraz said.

Kail agreed that she's glad lawmakers are "looking out for our children."

The latest child maltreatment data is current through 2023. It shows that from 2019 to 2023, child neglect cases were down 28 percent.

"It's good news," Mraz said. "It still could be better."

Of those cases, 51% were classified as neglect; 18% physical abuse; 9% as psychological mistreatment; and 6% as sexual abuse.

Babies younger than a year old make up the highest rate of victims, with nearly 35 out of 1,000 being mistreated.

If you’re interested in volunteering with CASA for the Heartland, click here.

Related Stories: