The Kentucky Child Abuse Hotline offers resources for families

The Kentucky Child Abuse Hotline was established in 2020 and responds to calls from across the state from a central location.

However, the hotline provides access to services beyond reporting possible abuse and neglect.

Eric Friedlander is the Secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

He told WKU Public Radio that Kentucky families need more support to hopefully prevent neglect or abuse.

“Sometimes we equate poverty with neglect, and sometimes poverty is just poverty,” he said.

“People who may not have the same resources as others love their children!”

Friedlander said the first call doesn’t always require an intervention that pushes away the children present.

He explained that Cabinet’s aim is to ensure families can receive services when they have the greatest impact.

“If someone gets support on the first call when the need is less, we really want to do that type of prevention or intervention there, rather than hearing later that the family has spiraled, the child has spiraled,” explained Friedlander.

“If we had intervened earlier, we might not have had to do the background investigation.”

When calling the hotline, parents and caregivers will be directed to resources such as SNAP and child care within the department.

You can also be referred to a partner group for parenting courses.

Friedlander told WKU Public Radio that the state is improving in terms of the statewide level of child abuse and neglect.

He encourages Kentuckians to report if they see anything concerning.

The Kentucky Cabinet of Health and Family Services can determine whether or not an examination needs to be performed.