By Kiera Dunk As many people focus on the headlines coming out of the federal government, they often overlook what is happening at the state level. While the state government has a direct impact on our daily lives, people have more power than they realize to influence it. Two years ago, I started this journey with Kyan’s Law, sharing his story and hoping to bring him justice while preventing other deaths like his. Currently, that [...]
This was originally published on Face It Movement's blog. The 2025 Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel Report was released this month, summarizing the findings from comprehensive reviews of 248 cases that were determined to be the result of child abuse. Of those cases, 72 were fatalities and 176 were near fatalities with 82% involving children aged four and younger and 44% under the age of one. Key Takeaways Neglect was the most [...]
In 2024, more than 55,000 reports of suspected child abuse or neglect were made to Kentucky’s Department for Community Based Services (DCBS), which houses Child Protective Services (CPS). As a universal mandatory reporting state, every adult is required to make a report if they have a reasonable suspicion that a child is being abused or neglected. While every adult can play a role in keeping children safe, research and data suggest that the intended impact [...]
Every parent, caregiver, and community member expects schools to be a safe place for children to learn and grow. Yet, across Kentucky, we continue to hear stories of students being harmed by those entrusted with their education. Too often these cases of educator sexual misconduct are met with delayed action, quiet dismissals, or a lack of accountability. This leaves students vulnerable and families without answers. Representative Tipton has filed legislation to address this issue for [...]
Many of us grew up watching TV shows and movies where police officers would read someone their Miranda rights, “You have the right to remain silent…”, without ever thinking about the people in our communities who may have experienced that in real life, including kids. More than 50 years ago, the Supreme Court acknowledged that children cannot “navigate the justice system without the “guiding hand” of counsel, including when interrogated by law enforcement”. With everything [...]
Originally published on Face It Movement Access to high quality, safe child care settings is critical for families across the Commonwealth. But recent data reports highlight an increase of child abuse and maltreatment cases in child care programs across Kentucky: 46% increase in hotline complaints from 2022–2024 73% increase in substantiated incidents of child abuse and neglect 64% increase in serious injuries to children in licensed child care impacting up to 764 children This increase [...]
Originally published on Face It Movement As we enter the heat of summer, we are starting to see the implementation of many of the bills passed during the 2025 legislative session. Several of those laws are set to impact children directly, especially in school settings. Two of the new laws, Senate Bills 73 and 120, were 2025 Kosair for Kids Face It Movement Policy Priorities, aimed at preventing abuse and promoting child safety through education [...]
There is a swirl of speculation about the topic. Is the Governor going to call a special session, and – if so – what will be on “the call?” Or what are the priorities emerging at this very moment in Cabinet-level planning for the 2014-16 budget? Any talk about budgets offers us both hope and worry. Will it spotlight the very real need for fundamental and systemic changes in the state’s tax and budget structures [...]
The national rate of locking up young people in trouble with the law dropped by more than 40 percent over a 15-year period, with no decreases in public safety, according to a new report released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation today. The KIDS COUNT Data Snapshot indicates that the number of young people in correctional facilities in the United States on a single day fell to 70,792 in 2010, from a high of 107,637 [...]
This post originally appeared as a Letter to the Editor in the Courier Journal on February 27, 2013 A critical bill now stands before the Senate that would create a child fatality and near fatality review panel. The creation of this panel would be one of the biggest steps forward our state can take to identify trends and solutions to address child deaths and near deaths that occur as a result of abuse and neglect. [...]
